


Ignite the Sky

by yukiscorpio



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-10-09 00:07:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 47,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10399248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yukiscorpio/pseuds/yukiscorpio
Summary: Three years before Noctis would have set out on his journey for his political marriage, Niflheim Empire was destroyed by an intervention even the gods did not see coming. With the threat of war no longer choking the air out of their lives, everyone started to consider what they wanted for their future, and how to get there.There were new experiences to savour, new paths to tread. And yet, Ignis discovered, what he wanted had always been right there beside him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a happy, no trauma sort of story, because, goddamn, I need a happy story after this game.

"Huh."

"Hmm?"

"Just never been inside the other flats before. It's smaller."

"Well, it's two flats per floor until you get to the top floor, Your _High_ ness."

"Ha, life just wasn't the same without your terrible puns. Anyway, you can just come hang out at mine."

It was a kind offer, but not really necessary, Ignis thought. The flat he had been provided with was more than adequate in size and very reasonably furnished. It wasn't free; the Citadel was taking a small chunk of his monthly salary as rent, but this arrangement was tax efficient and easier than searching for his own place. Plus, it meant that Noctis was just a lift ride away. Ignis was a man who valued time and efficiency much more than he did money.

"This will do me very well," said Ignis, "it's far better than the halls I stayed in."

It only took two more trips on the lift; Ignis didn't have much with him, having come straight here from his student accommodation. There would be a few things to collect from his parents later.

"Last box," Noctis announced, putting a box marked KNIVES on the kitchen counter.

"Oh, those to... the bedroom for now, please."

Noctis paused, frowned at the box, then went, "oh, _knives_ knives." He lifted the box again, arm muscles tightening with the weight, and took them to the room. "We can put them in my armoury later if you want."

"Are you certain you've mastered it now?"

"I told you I did!" Noctis called from the bedroom.

He did. They had kept in regular contact during Ignis's time away. "Then let's give it a go soon."

Well, well. Hands on his hips, Ignis looked around, counted all the boxes — three in the bedroom, Noctis informed him — then opened the most important box, got out his mugs and tea, and put the kettle on.

A few minutes — including Noctis's quick trip up to his place for some milk — later, they were sipping too-hot tea on the little balcony, where Insomnia's bright lights blinked at them from below.

Home, finally. It had been just over a year, but felt much longer than that. And now Noctis was helping Ignis move into his new home, new job, new life. Not something the crown prince should do for his chamberlain and advisor, perhaps, but they were friends, first and foremost.

"Ignis Scientia, 20 years old, now with another set of letters behind his name." Noctis's grin was just visible above the brim of his mug. "You're sickening, you know that?"

He said that, but there was not a trace of resentment in his voice. Academically gifted, Ignis was specially educated and had skipped grades several times. This meant he could complete his education early and devote himself to serving Noctis, and Lucis, early. All those letters behind Ignis's name, everything that he had learned, in fact everything that Ignis _was_ , was for the purpose of making Noctis's life easier.

Noctis knew this, and Ignis knew Noctis knew this, so he simply shrugged a shoulder.

"Thanks, Specs. I don't deserve you," said Noctis, adding before Ignis had a chance to protest, "right now, anyway. But I'll make sure that I do, you know, in the years to come."

Ignis shook his head a little. "It's not about 'deserving', Noct. And I do enjoy learning; it's not a hardship."

"Yeah yeah I know, you weirdo." Smiling, Noctis leaned closer, clinking their tea mugs together. "Welcome home. Good to have you back."

"Thank you."

*

Ignis's new job began immediately after his return, and it wasn't so much easing himself in but jumping in with both feet. Fortunately Noctis's school holidays had begun, so the prince himself was available to assist with the handover of some of the duties.

Meetings, meetings, meetings. Noctis had been attending as many meetings as he could poke his head into, and as many as his schedule allowed. Combat training had also intensified upon his own request, Ignis was informed, whereas community work, public appearances and school took a backseat.

Taking note of the overall picture, Ignis smiled, nodding to himself. Noctis had been taking on a bit more than he ought to, but his grades at school were passable. Not as stellar as they had been, but very respectable given the amount of work he had, and it was also a good sign that—

"Maybe you won't get it, but it's hard to give a crap about homework."

"I understand, actually." This was a good sign, Ignis thought. Noctis had a genuine interest in the running of the country. Despite his words, he wasn't "not giving a crap", but prioritising, and finally understanding that he didn't have to be perfect on all fronts.

Noctis, who grew up with the weight of the Crystal on his shoulders, who struggled silently, often fearing that he could not satisfy every expectation of the world around him. Not that he ever admitted to it, but it was evident in little ways when Ignis learned to spot it. For many years Ignis had tried to help Noctis redirect his focus, with little success, but in the year Ignis had been away it appeared that Noctis had figured it out on his own.

This wasn't a slight in Ignis's efforts, however — much had changed in a short time recently, and it was that very change that allowed Ignis to leave Insomnia to study, too.

There was a future for them, one which no longer contained the certainty of war. While Ignis grabbed the chance of being able to do some more learning, Noctis had clearly spent time to reevaluate his priorities and decided, against what would have been Ignis's advice had Ignis been here, to do everything: take on many more royal duties as well as enrol into university, the latter of which he had entirely written off as an option previously.

"It might seem ironic for me to say this, but it is important to learn both in the classroom and outside of it," Ignis put down the report card from Noctis's school and the brief writeup from the Crownsguard. "You've done so well, Noct."

"Really?" Sitting across from Ignis, Noctis had his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands. "You think so?"

"Yes." The grin from Noctis was so bright and charming Ignis could feel the joy radiating across. "But do allow me to handle one or two things from now on; at this rate I would be left without a job."

Noctis laughed. "Yeah, so what's your job? You didn't even come to my parent-teacher meeting this year."

Ignis stacked the papers, smiling. "I offered to come back for it, but it appeared that this parent was not needed this time. How did it go?"

"It was _insane_! I spent half an hour the day before, teaching my teachers how to talk and stuff, just the same way they talk to everyone else, you know? Pfeh, wouldn't listen." Noctis rolled his eyes. "In the end I told them to arrange an assembly in the morning, kind of addressed Dad there, got their bows and curtseys out of their systems, _then_ everybody could just do the PTM like normal. And I suppose that went okay; nobody said I was slacking off or things like that... oh my head of year said my hair was 'too extreme'."

"What did His Majesty say?"

"He said he'd get that sorted out, then as soon as we left the room he was like, ha, how about no."

Ignis snorted. How typical of King Regis.

"Yeah. Then I gave Dad a tour around the school, that was pretty weird."

Ah, Ignis could imagine that. Then there was no need to imagine, because Noctis had pushed his phone across the table, showing photos he had taken with King Regis on his school grounds. What a special day it must have been.

"Prompto took these."

"He did a great job."

Swiping the screen, Ignis looked through the pictures, zooming in on one where the king and prince were both laughing. So much to be grateful for.

"You should print them out. I'll purchase some frames."

"Doing it already, Gladio said he bought some frames, he'll drop them off next time he swings by."

"You truly are leaving me with very little to do," Ignis remarked, not really meaning it. He would take over a few of Noctis's tasks so that the prince could spend his time elsewhere. They had already worked out a rough division of labour, as it were — Noctis would devote more hours to the charities he was the patron of, and also spend some time to pursue projects both royal and personal, some of which he promised Ignis would hear about soon. And, alongside all that, Noctis would play. Because Noctis was a teenager and his father was adamant that his son was able to see friends, play video games, go on dates, have fun.

As a result, Ignis would attend some meetings with, or instead of, Noctis, perform political, economical and any other analysis at a level Noctis needed to be aware of, and begin to manage Noctis's home and schedule as the new chamberlain. This last part was not what Ignis was originally trained for, and quite a luxury for a 17-year-old, but Noctis was no ordinary 17-year-old and those duties were simple enough that Ignis put himself forward for this position, on top of his role as the prince's advisor.

More importantly, Ignis did not wish to have to negotiate with a chamberlain to have some of Noctis's time.

"You'll have stuff to do, don't you worry. You just aren't gonna get so busy that you won't have a life; Dad's warned me about not sliding everything onto you and make you 'shadow prince'," Noctis air-quoted the words. "By the way, don't..." he scratched his head, trying to find the right phrasing, "I have cleaners once a week, the flat's usually okay enough, so just... let me get on with it? I know what you're like but—"

"Be your chamberlain, not your chambermaid?" Ignis suggested, amused, and Noctis nodded furiously. "Good, because I have no intention to do that for you."

"Good."

"Yes. Good."

Though, now that he had his own space and a fully equipped kitchen, Ignis would like to start exploring cookery a bit more, and not just bake. Noctis would probably be willing to test the results.

"So," pushing papers aside, Ignis moved his laptop over, and opened up the schedule that Noctis sent him earlier. Nothing that made him worry overmuch, just one minor detail that raised his eyebrows. "Yoga twice a week now?"

"Yep."

"But you hate it." Or so Ignis was told over text messages some time ago.

"I did. But it's made my back better."

"Ah." Speaking of which, "how is your back? Weren't they looking at something drastic to alleviate the pain? I haven't heard any more about it while in Accordo so I assume you never took the step."

Noctis pulled a mildly horrified face. "Nah. That's why I started on the yoga, and it's working, so they don't need to cut me open or whatever. My muscles still get tired easily, but," he shrugged, and didn't bother to finish the sentence.

"Oh, gosh, that's good," said Ignis, feeling quite relieved.

No one was aware of how poorly Noctis had felt for years. He had put up a front ever since that dreadful day when Niflheim invaded Tenebrae while he was there to see the then Oracle for treatment, until Gladio stepped the training regime up a gear when the Prince turned 15. Ignis would always remember going to Noctis's room one morning, ready to make fun of him for lying in after a tough battle session the day before, and instead finding Noctis in so much pain that he could not physically get out of bed, his eyes brimming with tears of anger and frustration.

Everyone was mortified that Noctis had managed to hide it for so long, but that was the sort of person Noctis was. He hid things. His pains, his fears, everything that would be deemed a weakness or cause others to worry. Because he was chosen by the Crystal and his father was giving all that he had, and more, to keep Lucis safe.

Now, Ignis hoped Noctis would feel that there was no need for secrets anymore, or at least that he could trust his burdens with Ignis.

"Yeah, it's fine. I can blade-warp pretty well now, doesn't jar my back much anymore. And I haven't felt any pain down my leg and knee for months now."

"Even so," Ignis studied the schedule again. Yoga and battle practice both twice a week. On top of that, once a week he had physical conditioning and a session focused on magic, blade-warp and other powers inherent to his bloodline. And Ignis could not tell if Noctis's old back injury had truly improved or if Noctis was just saying what people wanted to hear. "You don't feel that your physical training is too intense?"

A dismissive wave. "It's fine. Also Luna said she'll help me with my back when we go visit."

Of course. That would be excellent. Ignis had all but forgotten that it was now possible for the Oracle to perform her miracle on the Prince of Lucis.

Still, as someone known to like spending all his extra hours not moving, preferably asleep, it was uncharacteristic of Noctis to train so hard.

Lips pressed into a thin line, Ignis filed this thought away, to be reexamined later. Much had changed politically in the past 18 months, and much could change personally in that amount of time too, especially for someone Noctis's age. They were close, Ignis and Noctis, but Ignis had been away and if there was anything he knew it was that despite constant communication, it would take time to get to know Noctis again, to truly be part of Noctis's life again. Secretive, defensive Noctis, not an enigma, merely very careful about who he allowed into his world.

"So, anything else?"

Or Ignis could be overthinking and nothing had changed at all, but when it came to Noctis, he didn't want to assume.

"I believe that's all my questions answered for now."

"Right." Noctis got up and took his chair with him so that instead of sitting across from Ignis on the dining table, he could sit closer, around the corner from Ignis instead. Then he reached over closed the laptop purposefully. "Well I've got questions."

"Oh dear," said Ignis, noting the playful edge on his friend's smirk. "What now?"

"How was Corcillum?" Noctis folded his arms on the table.

"It has not changed since you last asked me the same question when I returned for a week during winter break."

"Nooo." Noctis was waggling his eyebrows now, for emphasis. "How was Corcillum?"

Ignis did know what his friend was asking about, really. "It was fine, nothing much happened."

Elbow on the table now, Noctis's face propped up with a palm. "Hmm, I'm not surprised, somehow. Bet you got asked out a lot though."

"Once or twice," a week. "There was no one in particular I liked, however, and I wasn't keen on starting anything so far from home."

Arm down again, Noctis resting his head on them. "Man, I wish I get asked out."

"But you do."

"Not by anyone I like."

"Have you considered doing the asking?"

"If there's someone I like, sure, maybe."

"So you're complaining about nothing, really."

"Not 'complaining' per say, just..." Noctis shrugged. "Why am I not tall and hot?"

"What are you even talking about?"

"I've grown a bit more, but I think this is it for me. Five foot nine, Iggy. That's pathetic. Bet the weather up there's nicer." Eyes darting towards Ignis, Noctis looked quite forlorn.

"The weather is identical, I promise you," Ignis pat Noctis on the head, secretly surprised by the sudden confidence issue he had never thought was there. "There is nothing wrong with the way you are. Why would you think you're undesirable? I thought Prompto reads you the tabloids, against my advice."

"Yeah, they love me alright, all non-threatening five-nine of me and my a-gil-a-dozen third-rate boyband face with no character."

That was an unreasonably critical description about his own appearance. Had he been rejected by someone recently? Ignis wondered.

"Anyway, forget that," Noctis pushed himself off the table, "I should go to yoga."

Ignis's gaze flicked over to the digital clock on the oven. It was nearly time. But this seemed too abrupt an end to the conversation, even if it was a reluctant one.

"Has something happened, Noct?"

"Nope. Nothing's happened, nothing's happening."

Ah, perhaps there was someone, then, and that person had not noticed Noctis. In which case, that person must be a fool.

"Hey. Wanna come with?" 

"To yoga?"

"It's just at the gym on the first floor. Loads of people go."

"I will have to pass; I lack the appropriate attire."

"I probably have something that'll fit—"

"There is also much work that I need to catch up with."

"Suit yourself." There was a knowing smile on Noctis's lips, but Ignis wasn't quite sure what the thought was behind that smile.

Ignis watched Noctis disappeared into his room to get changed. Noctis had had another growth spurt, his face losing the roundness, jawline becoming very defined, cheekbones drawing attention to his unusual blue eyes. He had evidently become very slender, judging by the way his clothes hung on him, shoulder blades shifting a little prominently under his shirt, though not to a worrying degree. In a way, he looked almost... slinky, like a cat. Was this the result of all the exercise, had he lost weight? Or was the training a response to his changing shape, was Noctis hoping to put on more muscle?

Either way, Noctis, who was once cute and a little graceless the way growing boys were, had become an attractive, handsome young man, in a way that Ignis was not immune to.

Other people may not have noticed Noctis, but Ignis definitely had.

There would be time for them to get reacquainted, Ignis thought. But not through yoga. It would be much too awkward. This little infatuation was not a problem — there were other people Ignis found attractive too, not just Noctis. He would just let it run its course. Once they settled back into their friendship, back into their usual rhythm, he would lose interest. It would be fine.

He rolled his shoulders, then returned his focus to his laptop. Right. Work.


	2. Chapter 2

An army.

Lucis had had no conventional army for almost 150 years, and one was about to be created.

Well, not an army, technically — it was to be a defense force, as Ignis understood; while he was away he still closely followed the progress with regards to the dissolution of the Kingsglaive, or the restructuring of it into the aforementioned defense force, depending on one's viewpoint. And now Ignis was attending one of the final discussions on the matter. Mostly for information, not to make any contribution.

And while the Kingsglaive was originally already founded on the principle of defense, the new force would differ in that it would not be using the King's powers, but Solheim technology, and their primary objective was to keep the populace safe from daemons, not to fight a magitek army. If additional help or the use of magic was deemed necessary, then they could call for the Crownsguard or even request royal assistance. This had always been the case — with his potent magic and formidable armiger, King Regis had unparalleled power and was the one who took charge of battles near Insomnia. But now, Prince Noctis would join the fray as well.

This was news to Ignis.

As for the Crownsguard, they would continue as they were, but gradually switch from using King Regis's powers to Prince Noctis's.

"Took me forever to convince him," said Noctis, eating late lunch at one of the Citadel's canteens with several of the Crownsguard; the discussion was taking longer than expected and it was decided that stomachs were feeling too empty to continue. "But now Dad can just concentrate on pushing the Wall out. I've got you guys."

Gladio, being Gladio, did not miss the chance to take a jibe. "If you say so. Don't let us down, eh?"

"Oh I won't let everyone down. Maybe just you in particular. Maybe I'll swap your greatsword with a carrot."

They all laughed. Sometimes Ignis thought Gladio's digs were rather uncalled for, and quite aggressive instead of friendly since Noctis was rarely the one to initiate such exchanges, but Noctis didn't seem to mind so Ignis kept his thoughts to himself. Perhaps Ignis just didn't have an older brother figure in his life so he couldn't understand.

It helped that the culture in the Citadel was one that encouraged jokes, too. With a few strategically placed comments, this new carrot joke could go far.

"Your Highness," said Cor, setting down his cup of coffee on the saucer, "the reasoning is understood. But how are you faring?"

"Me? I'm cool," replied Noctis, a drinking straw between his teeth as he sucked on his soda. "We can do the next batch today, if there's anyone around that haven't switched yet?"

Cor nodded, said that he would gather the people when they were done with the second half of the Kingsglaive meeting, then he gave Ignis a look which Ignis deciphered as "keep an eye on His Highness".

It made sense, now. With the magitek army now a thing of the past, and the Wall being pushed out from Insomnia to gradually envelope all regions of Lucis in a weaker form, Noctis's first goal was that his father should no longer to take on so much that it continued to damage his health. And therefore: the transferral of the Crownsguard from king to prince.

There being no reason to fight, such a move should not be taxing on one with the blood of Lucis. However, the prince was still young and without the power granted to his father by the Ring or the Crystal, so it was reasonable to keep a watchful eye.

So this was why Noctis was dedicating so much of his time to training. The Ancient Lucian powers tended to grow with age and truly come to the fore in the wielder's 20's, but the better Noctis's physical condition and the better command he had over his powers right now, the easier it would be for him to take on this new task, and the stronger the power he could lend to the Crownsguard.

And, of course, if on the hopefully rare occasion the defense force called for his help, then it would be his Lucian powers that would provide the necessary edge.

After lunch, they returned to the hall that was being used for the Kingsglaive discussion.

"Iggy," Noctis elbowed Ignis's side gently. "You look like you're thinking too hard."

"Thinking, I'm afraid, is a crucial part of my role," said Ignis, taking the same seat he had vacated when they broke for lunch.

"I know what you're thinking; I'm fine and I'll be fine."

"So you led me to believe for seven years, until one morning your back crippled you."

Noctis sat down as well, ducking his head a little. "Sorry."

Ignis sighed. "I don't need your apology, just your word that you _will_ talk to me if it becomes too much, That is what I am here for."

"Yeah." Other people were filing in. Noctis lowered his voice. "I know. I'm just not... yanno."

Not very good at talking about things. Also not very good at talking about the fact that he wasn't very good at talking about things. "I know."

"But you do get it. I've been given all these powers. I have to play a part in protecting Lucis."

"I understand." Ignis really did. He would even agree that it was the correct decision for Noctis. It didn't mean he had to like it, however.

Perhaps Noctis would change his mind after university began and he saw how much work there was going to be on top of his duties as well as working with the defense force. If that was the case, Ignis was ready to shoulder more responsibilities for him. But first of all he had to be ready to spot that Noctis was becoming overworked.

As soon as everyone had returned to their seats, the discussion resumed. There was no way to convince Drautos, Captain of the Kingsglaive, to lead the new defense force. He had turned King Regis down a number of times and chosen to return to his homeland Galahd, now under the protection of the Wall, and oversee the reconstruction efforts there. The King seemed saddened by this, saying that Drautos had behaved oddly ever since the fall of the Empire, but the Citadel allowed him to leave with their heartfelt gratitude for the years of service.

Ignis dipped his gaze, and saw that Noctis had scribbled something on his notepad.

_Meh. Something about that guy has never sat well with me. Sad to lose his strength but don't think it'll affect morale._

Interesting. Noctis had a good eye for people, so his opinion was one Ignis never easily dismissed. In this case, however, it appeared that it didn't matter, since Drautos had left the Citadel for good.

Then came the matter of who would lead the defense force. As there was no obvious candidate, Clarus and Cor would take charge until a suitable person was found. A number of mid-ranked leaders had been selected from the Kingsglaive who were choosing to remain. All that was left to do was a review, then everyone could go.

Ignis flicked through the folder with profiles of the chosen Kingsglaives. He seldom had the opportunity to talk to any of the Glaives, and personally knew no one there, but he assumed the selection process had been stringent and the very best were picked. He was not invited to comment and he had no comment to make anyway.

It was towards the end of the day, after he and Noctis had both returned to Ignis's flat, that he gave it a bit more thought.

Two dozen odd people from the Crownsguard had met Noctis today and made "the upgrade to the younger model", as Noctis liked to call it, switching to using his power rather than his father's. He seemed tired immediately after, but had since bounced back, rather like someone who had donated blood. Now he was on the sofa, leafing through the folder from the Kingsglaive discussion, as Ignis cooked dinner. Chicken and egg on rice. Hearty food, the sort that Noctis would ask for seconds of, and Ignis was making sure there would be plenty.

"You don't need to cook for me, you know."

"As I've explained before, cooking for two is about the same amount of effort as cooking for..." Ignis glanced over his shoulder, the open kitchen layout allowing him to see into the living room. Noctis was still bent over his folder on his lap, but he also had his mobile phone out. Was he... "Noct? What are you doing?"

Noct's face snapped up, his mouth pulled into a grin that was quickly tamed down when he met eyes with Ignis. "Um."

He was taking a photo of the page, wasn't he? Ignis turned off the hob and put down his wooden spoon, quite angry that Noctis would do something so stupid. "That folder contains confidential information pertaining to the new defense force—"

"It's alright..."

"—and personal data of each member—"

"Iggy! Iggy, chill!" A twist of the hand. Noctis showed his phone screen to Ignis. "Just took a pic of the photo. No names, no data."

Ignis let out a long breath. That was... less alarming, but now more confusing. "Why the photo?"

"Um," Noctis turned the screen around, looked at it, then looked back at Ignis. "He's, uh, I dunno, hot?"

Now that was just strange, on a number of levels. "Noctis."

"Just... don't worry about it."

"I'm your advisor. This—"

"This is exactly the sort of thing you need to do. I get it. But all I've done is take a photo of some guy. It's not because he's a Glaive, okay? I'm looking for a new haircut, and I like his."

That sounded more plausible. "It's still not appropriate."

"Trust me, okay? I'm not doing anything bad." Noctis returned to poking at his phone. "Is there dinner yet?"

Well, it wasn't as if Ignis could even contemplate that Noctis would do something mindless or malicious. Shifting his attention back to the hob, Ignis took a close look and deemed the food ready. He opened the rice cooker, scooped generous amount of rice into two bowls, added the chicken and egg on top, sprinkled on chopped spring onions, and—

—let out an embarrassingly unholy noise the moment he turned around, carrying two full bowls of food, and nearly bumped straight into _her_.

Dear god, she really must stop doing that!

"Gentiana?" Noctis stood up, addressing the woman who just appeared out of nowhere.

Frightening the hell out of people was what she was doing, Ignis thought, recomposing himself. He could have sworn he just lost several years of his life. Gentiana seldom visited, however; did the Oracle have an urgent message to deliver?

Noctis had the same questions, but he seem oddly amused, somehow, like Gentiana's appearance was not completely unexpected. "Did Luna send you? She got my message?"

"I came of my own bidding." Gentiana approached Noctis, her back turned to the kitchen now, though Ignis bet she was still smirking like she did when he almost walked into her. Her shoes were leaving no trace on the wooden floor, though Ignis was annoyed anyway. He had a no-shoe policy in his flat; there were slippers available at the threshold for exactly this reason. But of course, the divine messenger did not come through the front door and was now walking all over his floor in, what were those, peep-toed thigh-high stilleto boots?

Ignis busied himself setting up the table as the other two talked.

"Oh, so what're you doing here?"

"Go hence with the Wayward Sword, O King of the Stone. At Tenebrae, the Oracle awaits."

" _Eagerly_ awaits?" It sounded like Noctis knew exactly what Gentiana meant, and there was obvious smugness in his voice.

No reply from Gentiana, but Noctis was laughing now, as if they were sharing a private joke.

"The coronation soon. We'll be there."

"The Oracle and this Messenger _eagerly await_."

The conversation seemed to be over. And the food was ready. Ignis looked up, and Gentiana was studying him with that cryptic smile again. "Noct?" Ignis said, nudging his glasses, trying to hide his discomfort behind his hand, "could you please ask our guest if she would like to join us for dinner?"

It wasn't an absurd notion as it initially seemed — Umbra was also a spiritual being and he never turned down a treat — but Ignis had never seen Gentiana eat.

"Yeah. Want to eat with us, Gentiana? Iggy's a really good cook."

Slowly, Gentiana shook her head, turning back to Ignis, an undecipherable smile on her lips as she approached him. This was unprecedented; they had never interacted before, and Ignis had never even directly spoken to her. Pinned by her gaze, Ignis froze on the spot as she drew ever closer. Then her hand lifted, fingertips gliding across the left side of his face, through his glasses and lingering over his eyes.

Then she was gone.

"Whoa... whoa! Did she just _touch_ you?"

"Ah..." What just happened?

"Why the hell did she do that? She's never touched me!"

"How would I know?" said Ignis, at a total loss. His skin tingled, where Gentiana touched, but it might just be his mind playing tricks. "She is the divine messenger and you are _O King of the Stone_ , not I."

"Well I've no idea either." Noctis went to the dining table and sat down, grinning as he smelled the food. "This looks great."

"I hope you'll enjoy it." Ignis went to the kitchen briefly to make two cups of tea. When he returned, Noctis's food had not been touched yet, but he had a spoon in hand, ready to dig in as soon as Ignis sat down.

"Mmm, this is really good!"

"Thank you." The feedback was quite over the top, in Ignis's opinion; the prince was used to eating well at the Citadel, and what Ignis had produced was at most mediocre in comparison. He suspected that any food Noctis didn't have to cook for himself was good food. Still, Ignis wasn't immune to praise and gratitude, both of which encouraged him to keep trying.

On top of that, he really liked the look on Noctis's face when Noctis ate his cooking.

"You seem to have been expecting Gentiana's visit."

"Not really? But she really likes to jump you though, haha. It's like every time, if you're around, she appears right behind you."

"That _appears_ to be the case," Ignis agreed, sighing.

"And your voice! I didn't know you could go that high!"

"Anyway." Ignoring Noctis's laugh, Ignis sipped his tea. "I suppose there was a purpose to her visit. Is it anything that requires my attention or assistance?"

"Oh, I've been talking with Luna... it's nothing important."

Nothing important, and yet the messenger visited, "of her own bidding"? This made no sense to Ignis, but some things were simply not his place to ask if Noctis wasn't willing to tell. The will of the gods, and so on. "How is Her Ladyship?"

"She's fine? Actually I'm expecting her to call me in a bit. I wonder if... hey, that reminds me, give me your phone?"

"Why?" Ignis got it out of his pocket, unlocked it and handed it over.

"Putting _King's Knight_ back on it."

Oh, the game. Ignis had uninstalled it in a bid to concentrate on his studies whilst he was in Accordo.

When Noctis was done, he passed the device back. "Sign in, then I'll invite you back to our free company."

It was terrible manners to be messing around with their phones while having dinner, but Ignis decided they were eating as friends, not as advisor and prince, so they could be casual. He did as he was told, then accepted an invitation from _noctizzz_. Apart from Noctis, the roster had the usual suspects: Ignis himself, unfortunately named _speculoos_ by Noctis; _FreckledChocobo_ who was Noctis's school friend, Prompto; _Gladionoodle_ , the identity of whom was obvious. But there appeared to be new recruits since Ignis was away, presumably to fill the gaps in their formation. Someone by the handle of _Stella_ , and another called _PrynasPillow_.

It was difficult to imagine the Oracle, who would be coronated as Queen of Tenebrae in two weeks' time, playing a mobile game. But the evidence was right here. "I would guess _PrynasPillow_ is Lady Lunafreya?"

Noctis swallowed a mouthful of chicken. "Luna's _Stella_. She's our tank."

"Then who is the other player?"

A grin. "Guess."

Pryna was the name of one of the dogs at the house of Nox Fleuret. It took Ignis only a second to arrive at a new conclusion, but much longer for him to voice it. " _High Commander Ravus_?"

" _Prince_ Ravus." Noctis lifted a finger to emphasis the point. "He's pretty cool."

"I am... sure he is," was all Ignis managed to say. He lowered his gaze back onto the phone on the table. He was going to play _King's Knight_ with the Oracle and the former high commander of Niflheim's army? Times sure had changed.

"Ways in which Ravus is cool: 1. He's saved the world. 2. He's super lucky and rolled two rare characters."

"Both points are as important as each other."

"Yup. We're keeping him and his rares — can't let him fall into the hands of our enemies again."

At that, Ignis raised an eyebrow. "Noct."

"What, too soon?"

"Just momentarily overwhelmed with the sense of pride, that is all."

"I do learn from the best." Noctis sat up better, and gestured at his bowl. It was almost empty. "Is there more?"

"Yes. Let me—"

"It's alright, I'll get it myself." Noctis got up and wound his way around the dining table to get to the kitchen.

"You're eating too fast, Noct."

"Didn't realise how hungry I was."

"With your activity level you probably should be eating more. Just not at this speed."

"Yeah yeah."

Later, after Noctis went back to his own flat, Ignis sat down with the Kingsglaive folder, flipping through it, stopping on the page Noctis took particular interest in.

The photos attached to this particular profile was of a man in his twenties, who had long dark hair swept back away from the face, with shaved sides. A hairstyle that was not dissimilar from Gladio's, in fact. But on Noctis? Ignis couldn't imagine it.

Though, it might not really be about the hair; Noctis did say that this man was "hot". Was it a general remark, or did Noctis find this man attractive? This Glaive was certainly ruggedly handsome. Perhaps this was the sort of person who would catch Noctis's attention.

Ignis looked away from the photographs, and read the man's profile:

_Nyx Ulric_.


	3. Chapter 3

Pâte sucrée: take plain flour and ground almonds (85% flour, 15% almonds), mix well in a bowl. Rub in chilled, cubed butter with fingertips until the mixture becomes crumb-like. Stir in caster sugar. Add one medium egg and work it into the mixture, bringing it together to form a soft dough. Take care not to overwork the dough.

Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a ball. Flatten into a disc, then wrap in cling film. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before use.

It was a recipe Ignis had perfected over the years. Noctis's memory of the dessert he had tasted in Tenebrae was vague, so finding the right type of pastry was already no mean feat, but Ignis hardly blamed Noctis, who was only a child of eight years back then. And it was Ignis who took it upon himself to recreate the dish based on a softly-spoken remark his prince made a few years ago.

He got the pastry down. The filling, however, was a challenge of an entirely different level. It was definitely some kind of fruit, and Ignis had made enough attempts for them to finally agree it must have been a berry. But it was a berry that was more flavourful than all the ones Noctis had tasted since. Ignis was inclined to think that a liqueur was used, except that the chefs at Tenebrae surely would not have used alcohol in a dish for the young prince. A mixture of different fruits, then, including berries, and perhaps steeped in citrus juice? The type of sugar mattered as well, of course. Studying the culinary fashions of Tenebrae and its surrounding regions, Ignis believed it should be muscovado sugar. White sugar was not popular there, and conventional brown sugar too... plebian. But demerara sugar was also a possibility. And there was definitely a dusting of icing sugar on top.

Of course, having spent time reading up on Tenebraean foods, Ignis was aware that there was a chance he had not been able to recreate that elusive flavour because the right fruit, or fruits, was not available in Insomnia. Ever since the land fell into Niflheim's hands, there had been no commercial trade between Tenebrae and Lucis, and there were certain fruits and vegetables that only grew well in Tenebrae due to its soils and climate.

Because of that, earlier today, upon discovering a whole new aisle at the supermarket dedicated to freshly imported ingredients from Niflheim and Tenebrae, Ignis might have nearly — but only very nearly — done a little dance on the spot.

With a monumental amount of self control, he limited himself to three small punnets of Tenebrean berries, all red, as Noctis remembered the filling to be vibrantly red in colour. Then, after making the crème pâtissière which would also go inside the mini pies, he looked up his purchases online and picked the most likely candidate to try first.

By the time the little pies came out of the oven, Ignis's flat was filled with such a glorious aroma that even if this turned out to still be the wrong flavour, he would still be putting the recipe down in his note book.

After untying his apron and hanging it on a cabinet door, Ignis called Noctis on the phone.

"Yeah?"

There was loud music filtering through from Noctis's end. "Noct? Where are you?"

"Uh, the games arcade."

Ignis's eyes flicked towards the digital clock on the oven. Nearly 10:30pm. It wasn't a problem for Noctis to go out at night, as it was his school holiday, but Ignis was concerned anyway. "There may be unsavoury types at the arcade at this sort of hour."

A pause. "Don't worry, we're in a group. But um, okay, I'll be heading back."

"Would you need a lift?"

"It's fine, I'm just a couple blocks away."

Ah, Ignis knew which arcade it must be. "Come straight to mine? I have a little surprise for you."

Noctis's response was a curious sound. Ignis looked at his creation and decided he should downplay it a bit, just in case.

"Well, it might not be much, really. But come over anyway?"

"Sure, see you in a bit."

The doorbell sounded just 15 minutes later, Noctis looking chirpy but tired through the peephole. The moment Ignis opened his front door, however, he saw the expression change, as if Noctis was suddenly awash with emotions, and he stood there, eyes wide, mouth hanging slightly open.

"This is either a very good or a very bad sign," said Ignis, opening the door further, snapping Noctis out of his stupor. Noctis stepped inside, hurriedly got out of his sneakers and into slippers, then all but ran inside the flat.

"This smells just right! You've cracked it!"

The excitement in Noctis's voice made Ignis smile. He followed inside. "Have a taste first before drawing conclusions."

Noctis had picked up one of the pies, and accepted a small plate when Ignis handed one over, just to catch the crumbs.

Breaths were held as Noctis bit into the new creation.

And, it could have been a trick of the light, but his eyes suddenly seemed a little red. "Oh my god," he said, staring into the pie. "This is it. This is exactly it."

"Ah, good to know." Never having prepared for this moment, Ignis was at a loss for words. "I dare not compare my product to the creation by the chefs at Fenestala Manor, though."

Grinning, Noctis took another small bite. He looked... alive. Which was a strange way to describe it, but that was the first word that popped into Ignis's head. There was none of the languor that was usually present in Noctis in some way. Sometimes it came through in his posture, although that could also be due to his bad back. Sometimes it was in his eyes, just like those first days he woke up from being attacked by that daemon as a child. It wasn't always like that, of course, but the moments when Noctis was _all here_ , not left a part of himself behind with that daemon or hidden somewhere safe with Carbuncle, moments like this were precious.

And Ignis had never thought he would be the one to cause it. Such things were the privilege of family, like how Noctis's face would light up when his father hugged him, and the privilege of friends, like how Noctis would laugh like a carefree child when he was with Prompto. Ignis was Noctis's friend too, of course, but it wasn't the same. Noctis didn't see him in the same light...

Ah, no, that way of thinking was wrong. They had been over this, years ago. A big fight, Noctis insisting that Ignis was only friendly to him because it was his job. A baseless conjecture, Ignis had called it.

_"Prove it then!" shouted a raging, 13-years-old Noctis, who was upset that his father would not be at his parent-teacher meeting once again, and instead was sending 16-years-old Ignis in his place. "Quit your job! Leave the Crownsguard! See if you'd still bother to be my friend then!"_

_Ignis bit on the inside of his cheek, praying he could make the young prince understand. "I can do that, but I will not."_

_"I knew it—"_

_"Noct, if you would allow it, then let me be both. I am your friend, and I will also serve you._ And _, not_ but _," whispered Ignis, trying to induce a sense of calm. Even as a child, Noctis rarely lost his composure, and Ignis was sure that his friend did not want anyone else to witness this. "You are the prince. Sometimes you may be at places where your friends are not allowed to go. But as your Crownsguard, those restrictions do not apply to me. This means I can always be there for you."_

_Dumbfounded, Noctis gaped at Ignis, but said nothing._

_"In a sense, you can consider me your double agent. Pose as your Crownsguard, act as your friend."_

_Finally, those pulled-down corners of Noctis's mouth turned upwards. "Are you stupid? That's not how double agents work! It means you're a spy!"_

_"Ah, my mistake."_

_"Come on, you're supposed to be smarter than me, Iggy."_

"Iggy. Oi, Ignis."

Ignis's attention snapped back to the present. Noctis was holding one of the tarts in front of him, on its own small plate. "Have you tried it yourself yet? It's amazing."

It was, indeed. The flavour was rich, the tartness of the berries and the sweetness of the crème pâtissière creating the perfect balance. The pastry was short, ever so slightly crumbly, with the right amount of chew.

Ignis was proud. To have finally cracked this delicious riddle, and to have put such a smile on Noctis's face. This was no ordinary pie, it was a symbol of those lovely days in Tenebrae, where Noctis became friends with Lunafreya and Ravus, and he was allowed to hoard his father's attention. How lucky Ignis was to be able to recreate it just before they returned to the same place to celebrate Lady Lunafreya's coronation.

"This is so good. This is perfect," Noctis kept saying, mindless that his mouth was full. He was a ball of delight, trying to eat and talk and grin all at the same time. "Oh, Iggy, I could kiss you right now."

That would be very much welcomed, thought Ignis, who nudged his glasses and knotted his brows. "A simple thank-you would suffice. Also, try not to make such an offer with your mouth full; it rather diminishes the appeal."

The first pie was completely gone. Noctis sucked his fingers, ignoring the look of disapproval. Then he wrapped his arms around Ignis, who had to hastily move his plate out of the way.

"Thanks, Specs. You're the best."

"Welcome."

"You're also kinda crazy, spending so much time and energy to do this for me."

"I will take that as a compliment," said Ignis. "Noct?"

"Hmm?"

"Perhaps rather rude of me but... you need to shower."

At that, Noctis unwound himself from Ignis. "Oh. Haha... there was this... dance machine at the arcade. And I came straight after."

Dance machines? Did those things still exist? "Go and wash. Take the pastries with you."

"Alright."

Minutes later, Noctis had changed back into his own shoes, and Ignis passed him a box of the four remaining pies.

"Thanks. You really are the best."

"So you've told me earlier. Now go. Don't stay up too late, you have work at the Citadel tomorrow."

"G'night. Oh..." Noctis lowered his gaze onto the box, pies neatly contained in clear rigid plastic. "Do you mind if I shared these with Dad?"

"It would be an honour. And, they are yours, Noct. Do what you want with them."

"And also... I..." All of a sudden Noctis looked abashed. "Are you going to make more?"

"If you want, certainly."

"No I mean..." Noctis began, then shook his head at himself. "Eh, forget it."

How curious. What were the unsaid words, Ignis wondered. "Let me hear it?"

Noctis's face was turned away, now. "Are you going to make them for other people too?"

Oh. How... adorable. And was Noctis blushing? His ears looked red. "The thought hadn't even entered my mind," said Ignis.

"O-okay..."

"But I see no reason why I would want to do that, so I will make them only for you. Then if you wish to share them, that's up to you."

That earned Ignis another smile. "Alright." Noctis shuffled on his feet a bit. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Later on, Ignis went to bed, quietly congratulating himself on a job well done. And not a moment too soon; he thought he might have to admit defeat and ask people when they were at Tenebrae. But, by his own hand he had achieved it, and was rewarded with a hug.

But, to have the object of his affection do this to him — not just the hugging, but the look in Noctis's eyes, the smile, the affection, the shy request to keep this recipe exclusive for him... this was not going to help Ignis's feelings.

There was no way this double agent could become a triple agent, was there?

*

Noctis appeared to have made a new friend.

That was nothing to particularly remark on, except that the new friend's name was Nyx "he's hot and I like his hair" Ulric.

Recalling Noctis's schedule this week, they must have spoken to each other at the Citadel when some ex-Kingsglaive members were formally appointed as colonels of the new defense force. Ignis was not present; he had other tasks to look after, and although Noctis had once quietly expressed that he found the Kingsglaive quite hard to talk to, he was determined to get to know them as he did the Crownsguard. As such, it felt appropriate to let the prince try to do this without his advisor hovering over him.

Noctis mentioned it again, afterwards, saying he thought the new colonels were starting to relax around him. Then, two days later while at Noctis's flat sorting out some reports, Ignis heard Noctis ringing someone called Nyx on the phone and chatting away. And since then, Noctis had gone to "meet a friend" two evenings in a row for dinner.

Ignis knew the names of all of Noctis's friends. Therefore, this new nameless friend must be Nyx Ulric.

It was odd. Unsettling, even. It always took Noctis a long time to warm up to people, if he warmed up to them at all. And being called on the phone was one thing, but he would not make calls unless it was about work, or to talk to people who were very close to him.

And therefore, Ignis could not help but think there was an ulterior motive, including but not limited to attraction.

He noted this, very privately, in the back of his head, and did nothing about it. The man was a colonel of the defense force, "suitable" as the prince's friend if such criteria existed. The rest was none of Ignis's business.

And he could be imagining the whole thing. Nyx Ulric could be Noctis's friend, things between them might not be romantic or physical.

It wasn't as if Noctis would have much time to date anyway. On top of his intensive physical training, his had tasks at the Citadel and the occasional public appearance. He also met up with a few school friends semi-regularly, with the games arcade and the karaoke lounge being regular haunts. Two evenings a week there were two hours scheduled for _King's Knight_ with everyone else. If there was any free time left, Noctis liked to dine with his father, or be at home playing video games, or sleep. Really, it would be difficult to fit Nyx Ulric in anywhere.

Apart from dinner. Two nights in a row.

Ignis shook his head at himself. Stop this. Such thoughts were very unbecoming.

He kept telling himself that even when, by chance, he discovered that Noctis had been lying to him.

*

The fall of Niflheim's Emperor Aldercapt and his magitek army meant many things. People no longer lived in fear of war, that was the main one. New relations were forged, new treaties were being signed. But in other, smaller but not insignificant ways, life changed too: the import and export of not just food, but also technology, TV programmes, music, literature, sports — culture. And with the exchange of culture should come understanding. Lucians had reservations about many things, still, but that should change in time. Wounds caused by hundreds of years of aggressive expansion and war would heal, eventually.

Ignis rather enjoyed the changes. He, too, had a few doubts, but the time he spent in Accordo helped, Accordo having been under the Empire's influence for many years and Niflheimers not a rare sight there. For Lucis, the first visas for tourists from Niflheim had just been issued this year, and there had been no trouble as far as Ignis knew.

"This is the street."

He was with a small group of such tourists. They stopped Ignis to ask for directions to a speciality coffee shop, and although Ignis didn't know the shop, he recognised the name of the street, which was not far away. They were young travellers who had made the long journey from Niflheim through Accordo, then Duscae and Leide, to finally arrive at Insomnia. The trip of a lifetime, they said, planning later to travel west to Lestallum and see the Disc of Cauthess.

Going to Lestallum and seeing the Disc. Now that was an idea. Ignis wondered if he could get enough time off to make such a trip himself.

"Oh, there it is," said one of the group, spotting the sign for the coffee shop they were after. "Thank you so much, sir!"

"My pleasure," Ignis replied and watched the tourists go. This wasn't far from home, actually, and Ignis didn't know about this coffee place. Perhaps he should pay a visit too, but maybe after the tourists had left; it would be a bit strange for him to follow the tourists inside now.

He looked around, and noticed he was standing right next to the games arcade Noctis often visited with his friends. He decided to go in and take a look.

Ignis was decidedly out of place here, now. There was a time when he came to the arcades, too, despite what other people would have thought, just not as frequently as Noctis. The dance machines Noctis seemed to so love were not Ignis's forte, although he was passable on them, unlike Gladio.

Speaking of dance machines, Ignis could not see any.

He tried upstairs, but found himself in the land of first person shooters and beat 'em ups, with no dance games in sight either. Had the machines just been removed? Was he at the wrong arcade?

He got his phone out and did a search — this was the only games arcade close to home. The place had a website with a list of their machines, including incoming and outgoing ones, and it appeared they had not had a dance machine for at least a year already.

So where was Noctis going to with his friends? Or maybe even by himself? Doing some kind of physical activity that often left him sweaty? Somewhere nearby, definitely, because he managed to return home in 15 minutes. Or maybe it was further away, and he was sweaty because he had to run or, god forbid, warp home?

Either way, Noctis had been lying to Ignis. What was he trying to hide?

The first possible answer to came to mind, because his thoughts had been on the subject all day, was "a relationship". Noctis was seeing someone, maybe he had known Nyx Ulric for some time already, and they were getting hot and sweaty—

Oh, for the love of god, Ignis Scientia, please do not allow that thought to go any further. It was very unbecoming to speculate.

What he should consider was, if he suspected Noctis was lying, what should he do about it?

As Noctis's chamberlain and advisor, Ignis could demand the information from him. Ignis had a duty to ensure Noctis's safety, and that was compromised when Noctis deliberately misled others with regards to his location. But, as a friend who had been away for some time, and a friend who hoped Noctis would see him as a _friend_ before anything else, he did not want an interrogation. He had to respect and protect Noctis's privacy and feelings.

It was a fine line to walk, between those roles.

What should he do about it? Nothing, perhaps, because they were friends and Ignis trusted Noctis, even though the thought of Noctis hiding something from him hurt. It was a sign that he was still being held at arm's length. But maybe if Ignis waited just a little longer, then Noctis would nudge his door open a little wider and allow Ignis to peek inside his world.

And if, upon looking inside, Ignis found that there was no Nyx Ulric or someone else already taking up space in Noctis's heart, then perhaps he would find the courage to enquire about becoming a triple agent.


	4. Chapter 4

At 17, Noctis had already had more bespoke formal attire made for him than he could remember. For Ignis, however, this was the first time something was made for him that required three fittings. And gosh, what a luxury it was, even if he did not get to choose the style or the fabric.

It was a three piece suit, with shoulders that reminded Ignis of agents in espionage films, and a crease down each trouser leg so crisp and sharp it looked like it could kill. Royal black, of course, with gold buttons bearing the Crownsguard's symbol. He was allowed to pick a shirt from a limited palette, and he chose one that was a deep, near-black purple. The tie was black, too, and of course the shoes. The shoes were very fine, and Ignis's heart leapt with glee when he was told he could keep them. He was going to keep the whole outfit since it was tailored for him, but there would not be many chances to wear such a glorious piece of formalwear. The shoes, however, he could see himself wearing often.

His glasses and wristwatch were checked, and deemed acceptable. No other accessories were allowed apart from wedding rings, which of course Ignis did not have.

Staring at the final ensemble in the mirror, Ignis could not help himself but think: he looked good.

"You're looking good," said a familiar voice, and Ignis turned to see Gladio coming over to the mirrors, dressed in exactly the same style but with a white shirt.

Ignis tipped his head and smiled. "You don't look bad yourself."

"Ha." Gladio laughed dryly. He looked around, saw that none of the tailors were nearby, and lowered his voice, "this is what happens when you put a guy my build in a suit. I look like a nightclub bouncer."

"You look like the Prince's Shield, that's not a problem if you ask me."

"Heh."

The tailors had done a stirling job, really. Fitting a suit on a man as muscular as Gladio could not be easy, and Ignis honestly did not think Gladio looked bad at all.

"Are you going to survive a full day in a tie and a button-up shirt?"

Gladio groaned, slapped a hand on his face and dragged it down. "If I die, I suppose at least the Oracle will help me, right?"

"I think Her Ladyship is only able to heal the sick, not raise the dead."

"Well then, if I stop breathing, please perform CPR."

"Only if you shave, Gladio."

"How do you know I don't?"

Their eyes met in the mirror. Gladio was smirking. Ignis shrugged.

"I have heard that shaving makes it look bigger; I won't judge you for what you need to do. If you want additional help, however, may I suggest a well-placed carrot?"

Whatever comeback Gladio had for that, he didn't get the chance to say it because the tailors had returned, and they had to change out of the suits and let them be stored alongside everything else that was going to be taken to Tenebrae.

The rest of Ignis's work day was spent being briefed by people, and briefing other people, on the schedules, tasks, and the appropriate behaviour at the coronation of Lunafreya Nox Fleuret at Tenebrae. King Regis and Prince Noctis would be attending the event, accompanied by a retinue including the royal shields Clarus and Gladiolus, royal advisor and chamberlain Ignis, plus several hand-picked representatives and security staff.

To be honest, Ignis didn't think he was the right person to attend such an event. But his superior, the Grand Chamberlain of Lucis, was not keen on the idea of flying, and so the duty, as well as the honour, fell into Ignis's lap.

They would travel by magitek engine — a mode of transport not yet available to the general public — and stay a few days. The King would leave first, making a stop at Altissia for a state visit before returning to Lucis, whereas the Prince would remain at Tenebrae slightly longer to enjoy a break before enrolling into university.

Ignis had to discuss wardrobe with Noctis today, for those unofficial-but-still-official days. He had a feeling the prince would want to dress down as much as he could, and that was not a problem, but he may need a few smarter outfits for occasions such as dinner.

He arrived at Noctis's flat a little earlier than usual. It was midweek, which was Ignis's day to cook for both of them so he would be there anyway, but he wanted some time to look through Noctis's clothes and put some outfits together.

He rang the doorbell, although not expecting Noctis to be at home, then let himself in. The place was a bit messy, game controllers and comics scattered across the coffee table and sofa, the same jacket from a few days ago still draped over the back of the dining chair, bits of clutter here and there, and just one curtain drawn over the windows, enough to stop reflections on the TV. None of it bothered Ignis. Oh, if Noctis was here, then Ignis had to look like he was bothered, and tell him to tidy up or at least sort the curtains out, but Noctis wasn't home, so Ignis just breezed past it all, heading straight for the walk-in closet.

The closet was really a simple store room with two rails added. Much of the space was still used for general storage, so there was fishing gear leaning on the wall opposite where Noctis's favourite winter jacket was hung, for example. It was an excellent arrangement, not only because Noctis let Ignis store some of his own things here too. It meant that Ignis didn't have intrude into Noctis's bedroom to do his job.

When he heard the door, he had just finished picking out clothes that would work well together in most combinations. Noctis was chatting, as he let himself in. Curious, Ignis leaned out of the closet, and waited until Noctis came into the living room area, followed by someone else.

Oh.

For the briefest of moment, Ignis contemplated hiding. Then he berated himself for being silly and stepped outside so that he could be seen.

"Noctis."

Noctis seemed a little surprised. "Hey, you're here."

"It's midweek."

"Oh yeah. Oops. So, Iggy," Noctis scratched his head with a finger, turning to his visitor, "this is Nyx."

Yes, Ignis knew. "Colonel Ulric. Yes. Greetings."

The man, tall and handsome just like he was in the photos, smiled easily. "Please, just Nyx. You're Ignis I guess?"

Ignis's eyes flicked to Noctis. "Whatever he has told you about me, it's mostly untrue."

"Well... he's made you sound like some kind of superhuman," said Nyx-with-the-good-hair.

"Ah, only a mild exaggeration, then."

After some polite chuckling, Noctis put a hand on his hip and tipped his head. "Wha'cha doing there, Specs?"

"I just picked out some smart clothes you should take with you to Tenebrae."

"Oh right. Thanks. I can't be bothered with that stuff."

"I know, that's why I've done it for you. Please come and take a look."

In the closet with Noctis — ah, the irony — and the door shut, Ignis shuffled backwards for space, and ended up half buried in a small row of shirts.

"Hey, sorry, I didn't know you were going to be here."

"My fault, I was early. Would you like me to clear out?"

"Clear out?"

"So that you and your..." Ignis glanced at the door, "...new friend can have time alone together."

Noctis gaped at Ignis, as if he didn't understand a word he had just heard, and he was doing a fairly good job with the acting, but Ignis was not easily fooled.

"Noct, I'm not blind. You've been out to dinner with him twice in a row. You've been going to some place in secret. I know, and I don't mind." Ignis tried to smile. "Now, I shall make up an excuse and leave you two alone."

He tried to reach forward and around Noctis for the door handle, but Noctis, eyes wide, gasped and started flailing, preventing Ignis from leaving the room and nearly knocking his fishing rod to the floor.

"You think me and Nyx are banging?"

Ignis coughed softly, pulling back. "Dating."

"No! Oh my god, no, it's not like that! Me and Nyx? No way! Absolutely no way."

That was a thorough denial if Ignis had ever heard one. "Then..."

"Because I go and... so you've figured out I'm not at the games arcade that often, eh. I'll— I might tell you about it another time." Noctis's face had turned the same red as an ulwaat berry. "But I've not gone to shag someone."

"Oh." Ignis also felt the tips of his ears burn. "My apologies for making assumptions. It was simply the most obvious explanation for your recent behaviour."

He raised his eyebrows at Noctis, urging him to explain. Noctis grumbled, but not in an annoyed sort of way, there suddenly being too much amusement on his face for him to sound upset.

"Okay, I didn't know if I could tell you, before. This whole thing with the Empire — the coup, Aldercapt getting killed, the magitek army falling apart — none of it was in the divine ordinance."

This was not Ignis was expecting to hear, in every sense. How would that have anything to do with Nyx's presence, and was Noctis saying that the gods' plans had been disrupted? "And..."

"So the future's gone off track, knocked off course. It's... complicated, but anyway, Luna said she's had a vision of what was originally going to happen, and there was a Kingsglaive called Nyx Ulric who was going to be involved in it, and she asked me to find him. Remember that folder? I took a photo to show her to check I've got the right guy."

That was definitely not the explanation Ignis was expecting, and so farfetched that it was actually believable.

And this meant that Noctis was not romantically involved with Nyx.

Ignis tamed his smile before it had a chance to surface, and ignored the fact that he and Noctis were shut together in a tiny space right now.

"Why is the Oracle searching for him now, if he is in a future that will no longer come to pass?"

"I don't know, she said the whole thing's really complicated and she'll tell me more when we're at Tenebrae. But if you ask me?" Noctis put his hands in his pockets and grinned. "From the way she talked and the look on Gentiana's face, I think she's got the hots for him."

Ignis did not know what he could say to that, but it felt like he should caution Noctis for making such presumptions about the Oracle. "Noct."

Noctis ignored the particular intonation Ignis used for his name. "And I'm not just gonna send some random guy off to Luna like some pimp, so I tried to get to know him first. Turns out he's pretty cool."

Ignis could only sigh. All right. He understood Noctis's reasoning for befriending the man. "Even so..."

"Hey, even Gentiana told me to take Nyx with me to Tenebrae. I'm literally doing god's work here."

Oh, the _Wayward Sword_ that Gentiana spoke of. Ignis shook his head. "All right. I will pretend that I know nothing and let you do whatever you think is necessary. Although I now feel sorry for the poor man, his life being manipulated so."

"I'm taking him to Tenebrae, not to face the Starscourge. And I like him, okay? We're really friends. I'm just not telling him about Luna's visions."

They left the walk-in closet, having decided that they should ask Nyx to stay for dinner, and discussed whether or not there was enough food to make dinner for three. Noctis quietly asked Ignis not to bake the pies he was originally planning to make tonight, at least not until Nyx had gone home.

With a slight change of recipe there could be enough food to feed them all, but Noctis insisted they ordered delivery food because Ignis shouldn't have to cook for someone he barely knew.

"Chum and chamberlain, not chef and chambermaid," At the kitchen, Noctis muttered under his voice, elbow nudging Ignis in the ribs.

Ignis let out a chuckle. Sometimes Noctis could be so very sweet. "'Chum'? Which decade are we in?"

"I was going for the alliteration, alright? You know what I mean."

"Of course. The Citadel needs to pay me much more handsomely if they want me to take on those roles as well."

Carrying drinks, they returned to the living area, where Nyx was waiting. Now that Ignis wasn't seeing him through a faint haze of jealousy — and he would not pretend that wasn't what it was — the man turned out to be quite agreeable. Smart. Could chat about a wide range of topics, up to date on current affairs, spent more time listening than speaking, probably because of the type of company. And, according to his profile which Ignis had read a few more times than he had others, Nyx was an expert fighter, fiercely loyal to his comrades, who unironically called him their hero.

Not surprising, really. Noctis was a good judge of character, as if he had a sixth sense. If he did not approve of Nyx, he would not have invited the man into his home.

The conversation topic eventually switched to Ignis's tasks today. Preparation for the Tenebrae visit, he said, including the final suit fitting.

Hearing that, Noctis immediately shuffled closer to Ignis. "Photos, show me!"

"I haven't taken any."

Noctis screwed his face in disappointment. "Iggy."

"You will see it in due course."

"Bah." Noctis pulled away again. "Though, about Tenebrae... Nyx, I want you to come with me."

There it comes, Ignis thought, watching Nyx's reaction, which was predictably confused. How was Noctis going to play this?

"To Tenebrae?"

"You've got a really good battle record. Your friends call you 'the hero'," explained Noctis, retrieving his cooling coffee from the table, and one of the cookies that came with the delivery pizza. "We need to take a small selection of people with us, and I said we should include someone from the new defense force. To prove that we're taking you guys seriously, you know, a valuable force, we aren't just ripping you off dad's powers and then sending you off to the daemons."

Nyx glanced at Ignis, who simply nodded. Noctis had another motive, of course, but it was a sound suggestion nevertheless.

Nyx seemed apprehensive, however. "It's a bit sudden..."

"I ran it past Cor and Dad—"

"His Majesty?"

"He _is_ the crown prince," Ignis pointed out, with a knowing smile. "When he gets an idea, it often goes straight to the king."

"Yep, and we agreed we need a Galahdian in the entourage. It'd do good things."

That made Nyx lift his chin a little, and sit up. "Hmm."

There was no need to discuss what Noctis really meant; not all the Insomnian citizens had welcomed immigrants from Galahd with open arms. The royal family was well-loved by the Insomnians, however, and seeing a Galadhian welcomed by and standing next to the king and the prince could do much in changing attitudes. Having Nyx in the entourage to the historic coronation would also give a morale boost to the immigrant population.

"And Cor's okay with you going away for a bit. What do you say, Nyx?"

"If His Majesty thinks I should go, then I'll go."

"Good, that's sorted then."

Not entirely sorted yet, Ignis thought. "Nyx, I will send you a copy of the schedule. For the main event you will be wearing your uniform. There is a rule regarding jewellery," he said, quickly scanning Nyx's hands and ears. No metal at all, just Galadhian tattoos. "Which I see won't be an issue. For other days you will have to dress smartly."

That, of all things, made Nyx snort. "Then we have a problem. I, er, guess I'll have to do some shopping? It's one thing I'm not good at."

"And there might not be enough time; we depart the day after tomorrow," said Ignis, a thought coming to him. "Stand up?"

Eyebrows rising, Nyx stood, then he understood Ignis's intention once Ignis went to stand next to him, measuring Nyx against himself. No, it wouldn't work, Ignis was taller by two, three inches.

Seeing this, Noctis got up to his feet. "Maybe more my height... see?" He was right, to Ignis's surprise. He thought Nyx was taller, somehow. Maybe it was because of his long face shape. "Don't bother shopping, you can just borrow my clothes."

That was clearly another thing Nyx was not expecting to hear. "Would that actually be alright?"

"Enh, it's fine. I've got so many suits. Do you need shirts as well?" he said, already heading for the walk-in closet to do a good rummage. Nyx looked at Ignis, questions clearly in his eyes, and Ignis tipped his head to one side.

"He's not always like this. In fact, he is usually very guarded when it comes to new people."

"Ah, good, cos I'm thinking he seems _too_ nice. We've not known each other for long and he's..." Nyx searched for the right word, "...very welcoming, like we've been friends for years."

"There are reasons. You have had direct contact with the former Niflheim Empire, you know well what we were up against. My prince may be young, but he knows it too. And that's sufficient for him to find camaraderie — I do too, to an extent, I hope that doesn't make you too uncomfortable."

That made Nyx smile, one that was wide and unreserved. "Haha... you know, it's the suits — I've forgotten that you guys fight too, and you're damn good at it."

"Um, well, thank you, and the feeling is very much mutual." Not good at taking compliments, Ignis coughed once. "Your help at the coronation will be deeply appreciated."

"No sweat; you just tell me what to do." Nyx glanced towards the corridor Noctis had disappeared to. "He's really excited about it, the coronation."

"Oh yes, it is hugely important to him. For him, I daresay it is a more significant, life changing event than his own eventual ascension."

Not the real reason why Noctis was acting so warmly to Nyx so quickly, but not a lie either.

Nyx took a moment to contemplate this. "It's put him in a good mood, that's for sure," he said, perching on the arm of the sofa. "It's weird to say this, since it's not unusual for you, but I'd met the king before. I mean before I joined Kingsglaive."

Ignis did not know this. "You have?"

"He saved my life back in Galahd. Still remembers me, it turns out. Remarkable man," said Nyx. "I'm glad the prince seems just as good a person. Nice lad. Doesn't seem much like a prince, if you don't mind me saying."

"The royal family are just people," said Ignis, watching Noctis reemerge with clothes draped over an arm. "People with certain privileges, but those privileges don't cancel out the burdens they have to bear. We're fortunate that His Majesty and Noct are the people they are."

Noctis was back, bringing several suits with him, and shirts as well.

"What colour do you like? I've got black, grey, silver, navy."

In the end, Nyx took two suits and some shirts and ties with him. He was more muscular than Noctis, But Noctis had lost some weight recently, so the suits from half a year ago fit very well.

"He only needs shoes now," said Noctis, locking the door after Nyx left.

"Perhaps I can help him with that. I'll see if I can find a mutually convenient time before we depart."

Noctis laughed. "Help him? You and shoe shopping. That won't be helping."

It was a statement Ignis did not deign to respond to. "Well? Shall I bake, or are you too full from all the junk food you've consumed?"

Noctis looked a bit torn. "Maybe tomorrow? I'm really full."

"You are seeing Prompto tomorrow night." Or not. Perhaps Noctis would be sneaking off to do something else.

"Oh. Maybe I can move it—"

"It's just a few pastries. I can make them and leave them here for you..." Ignis's voice drifted off. Noctis was looking at him as if he was telling him to drown his firstborn. Ignis understood that the pastries were important, but was it that much more important that they were fresh out of the oven? "Or we'll find another time."

"Um, come cook tomorrow, if you can? We're leaving the day after, the stuff in the fridge won't keep that long." Noctis was back at the sofa, sitting on the arm Nyx was perching on a while ago. "I'll cancel with Prompto. I'll be seeing him anyway; he's coming to Tenebrae as well."

That was news to Ignis. "He is? In what capacity?"

"Luna invited him herself. Apparently he saved Pryna years ago, and they'd talked, something like that. I'll get the full story from her later. Anyway, he's hitching a ride with us."

Curious. "All right. I should be able to come tomorrow evening."

"Cool. We can watch a film or something as well?"

A film night? It had been a long time since Ignis last had one of those. "I would like that," he said, gathering his things. It was getting late. If he was to return here tomorrow, he should try to get up an hour earlier to make sure he got all his tasks out of the way beforehand. "Well, I will see you again soon, then."

"Okay. Goodnight."

Ignis turned to go, but heard Noctis say his name again.

"Ignis?"

"Yes?"

Noctis followed Ignis to the front door. "What do you think about Nyx?"

"He seems like a good person who has his heart in the right place."

"I mean," Noctis watched Ignis put his shoes back on, "is he hot?"

Ignis raised an eyebrow. "Knowing that the Oracle has interest, I dare not think about him in that regard. Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering, really."

"I think Nyx is handsome, but not 'hot'. You were the one who said he was."

"Yeah but I was just saying it." Noctis shrugged. "I don't really know what makes someone hot."

Ignis straightened himself and put the shoehorn back. "I guess you will know when you see it?"

"Maybe? But how do I make myself look good if I don't know what's, like, attractive?"

Oh. Was there someone Noctis was interested in? Or was it related to his weight loss, was it a body image issue? "Noct?"

"Don't." Noctis glared at Ignis, not clarifying what he meant by that single word. "It's not what you're thinking, whatever you're thinking."

"Well, you may not believe me, but personally I think you are fine as you are."

Half-pouting, Noctis looked like he didn't quite trust Ignis's words, and all Ignis wanted to do was put his hands on Noctis's face and kiss him on the lips and tell him he was not just fine, but very fine indeed.

He should tell him. If Ignis kept waiting for that perfect moment, for Noctis to open that door, someone else might come along before Ignis had the chance.

But not right here, like this. When they were at Tenebrae, Ignis decided. That would be a lovely setting and he could actually prepare something nice.

And if Noctis's reply was negative, then at least it would have happened somewhere away from home, it would be easier to deal with than if it happened here and being reminded of it almost daily.

"Whatever."

"I really do think so, but perhaps I am biased," said Ignis, really ready to go this time. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) I can't find height info on Nyx but looking at the play arts kai statues it seems like he's closer to Noct's height than Iggy's.
> 
> 2) I don't know when the next update will be, hopefully Thursday but I'm not in a good place with writing/posting right now, just doesn't feel like there's a point.


	5. Chapter 5

It was a miserable day outside. Blustery, wet, grey juxtaposed by more grey. Ignis had spent most of his day preparing for the journey to Tenebrae, overseeing packing and loading of items, checking schedules with his Tenebraean counterpart, and arguing with Sir Clarus over what would be adequate security and what would be stifling to King Regis and Prince Noctis.

Around early afternoon, just before Noctis's training session with Gladio, he and his father went to the Crystal, and all waited with bated breath for new revelations, if any.

There was none. As Noctis put it, "you know how we went to talk to it soon after the old Emperor died, and I told you it did the Crystally equivalent of _this_ ," he shrugged. How the Crystal could express what could be interpreted as such a gesture, Ignis had no idea. Then again, he didn't even know what the Crystal looked like. "Same thing happened again this time. Basically it said: eh, not sure right now, probably won't know for a long time, but everything's probably going to be alright."

Not the most reassuring of answers from a entity of divine origin, Ignis thought, but it was better than nothing. And perhaps more was said than what he was told, words just for the Lucis Caelums' ears.

At the end of the work day, and after finally winning the argument with Clarus by reminding him that Prince Noctis could defend himself very well and King Regis was, without question, the most competent fighter in all of Lucis, Ignis went home.

His flat was unfortunately also like outside, cold and with dampness in the air, because of windows that had been left open. A shower managed to help get rid of the grimey moistness that had been clinging to his skin all day, at least, and just when he sat down with a coffee, his phone beeped with a message.

_N: I'm home, so whenever you wanna come up_

A little earlier than expected, but having more time to spend with Noctis for dinner and film was the opposite of a problem. He headed upstairs, coffee in hand, and Noctis answered the doorbell. Noctis was also freshly showered, it seemed, but his flat was wonderfully warm and dry, and Ignis could feel the last of the stress from work today seep out of him as soon as he stepped inside.

Noctis was wearing a dark blue shirt, with top two buttons undone, and black smart trousers. Before Ignis had a chance to remark on it, Noctis was already waving a dismissive hand.

"When I was digging through my wardrobe for Nyx I realised I have so much stuff I almost never wear." He gestured at himself. "What do you think?"

 _Delectable_ was the word that came to Ignis's mind. No, he couldn't say that. He took a second to search for another description. Handsome? Attractive? Oh, he knew the perfect word. "Pulchritudinous, Noct."

"Pul... what?" Noctis asked and Ignis just smiled. "Whatever."

Dinner was a combined effort, with Noctis doing peeling and chopping and Ignis at the hob, although Noctis had to be told not to peel too deeply just so that there would be less vegetables to cook with.

Food was followed, as promised, by a film, a recent blockbuster that had just become available to rent online. Unfortunately it didn't catch Ignis or Noctis's attention, with too much focus on fight scenes and explosions and not enough on anything else.

They ended up playing _King's Knight_ instead, Ignis crafting items and Noctis making gil on the market while the film ran on TV.

At one point, Ignis noticed the time on his phone's clock. "Don't you have yoga today?"

"I'll just do it here later. I remember all the moves."

"I have to admit it is quite difficult to imagine you doing yoga."

"Really?" Noctis looked up from his screen briefly, to Ignis who was sitting beside him. "Because it's camp?"

"It's not 'camp'. And no, it's the slow, controlled nature of the exercise, I suppose. You are usually either going all out at full speed, or—"

"Or passed out on a chair." Noctis interrupted with a grin. "Yeah, I guess."

"How do you feel lately?"

"Hmm? I'm fine."

"Noct."

"I- I know. Just, be more specific."

"Your back?"

"Better. It gets tired sometimes, but I think everything I'm doing is actually helping."

"But how is the pain?"

"It doesn't hurt if I don't hurt it."

Still not very thorough an answer, but they were making progress. "I do wonder how much the Oracle can do for you..."

"Because her mum didn't heal me properly while I was there? I was a difficult case, Iggy."

"Aren't you always."

Noctis's knee nudged Ignis's. "Hey!"

"I jest. You are always a special case, but never difficult." Ignis closed his game and put his phone down.

"Hmph. Whatever."

"Really, Noct." Perhaps there were a few tough weeks way back when, but ask anyone and they would say that children were always hard work. And they were _both_ children. "Being your friend, and working for you, is always a joy."

"Oh." Noctis looked at his phone, then put it aside. "You aren't supposed to suddenly shift into sincere mode on me, Specs."

"Why, have I made you blush?"

"No one's blushing," said Noctis, blushing. He pointed at the TV. "I've no idea what's happening. Last time I looked, he was stealing a car."

On screen, the male protagonist appeared to be suffering some kind of break down. "It would appear that actual plot occurred while we weren't looking."

"Or he just didn't like the car he got."

"Also a possibility." Ignis sat forward, then rose to his feet. "I'll go finish the pies off in the oven. Would you like a coffee?"

"How about you do the pies and I make the coffee?"

Noctis seemed to want to help out today. Not that Ignis would object, of course.

When they were returning to the sofa, pies in the oven and coffees in their hands, a long, wanton moan from the TV made them pause in their tracks. They exchanged a look, and Noctis edged close enough to the TV to peer around at the screen.

"Oh my god."

Ignis went to check — there were now two naked bodies writhing together on screen. "Noct?"

"I didn't know it's that kind of a film!"

Ignis put down his coffee. "Where is the remote?"

"Over at the—"

"Stay where you are, and don't look at the TV; you're not old enough to watch this."

"Old enough to do the deed, but not old enough to watch."

Ignis picked up the remote control and swiftly removed the sex from the TV. "Whether they make sense or not, those are the laws of your country," literally, "which you have just broken."

Noctis snorted, finally sitting down. "Sorry to break it to you, but sometimes I go on _the internet_."

"Noct."

"Where there is _porn_."

"Please don't tell me these things, they make me accessory to your crime."

Pushing his glasses out of the way, Ignis rubbed his temples, pretending to have a headache. Beside him, Noctis cackled.

"You embarrassed?"

"No. Just surprised by unexpected sex." Ignis gestured at the now black TV screen. "It didn't even look enjoyable. What is the point of a scene of passion when it looked so dull?"

That made Noctis burst out laughing, nearly spilling his coffee. "Maybe the actors just aren't your type."

"Well, I suppose that did not help matters."

"Ha. So you do have a type."

Ignis decided not to respond to that. "Do you have a type?"

"Oh, tall guys with glasses. I totally dig tall guys with glasses." Noctis tasted his coffee. Finding it too hot, he put it down. "Fit. Intellectual. And I like green eyes, green eyes are pretty."

How very funny. "Should be quite a pool to choose from; green eyes are not uncommon."

Ignis was going to say "it can't be hard to find people taller than you," but that would be a joke too far for someone height conscious like Noctis.

"Hmph," said Noctis. "Go on, your turn, what's your type then?"

Time to escalate as per Citadel tradition. "I find pulchritudinous brunettes phenomenally attractive."

"I don't even know what 'pulchritudinous' means. Sounds like a kind of weeping sore."

"I do love a good weeping sore," Ignis deadpanned.

"Any other features you particularly like? Body type?"

"I don't have a particular preference. Height certainly does not matter... But perhaps not someone with abdominal muscles that can grate cheese."

"Aw, poor Gladio, cruelly rejected. Anything else?"

Ignis wondered how far they could go before one of them called it quits. "I know you like green eyes, but they don't do anything for me. I much prefer blue."

"Blue eyes are cool." Noctis nodded sagely, and leaned closer. His face was a little pink. "Y'know, people talk about friendzones, but I can't see myself with anyone I'm not already friends with."

At this angle, Ignis suddenly realised, he could almost look down Noctis's shirt. Should he move away, maybe retrieve his coffee, was he ready to admit defeat? Not yet.

"That is not unreasonable. Being with someone ought to be a joy. If you can't be friends with them, how can you be lovers?"

"Damn right. It's gotta be someone I can laugh with, and solve problems together, stuff like that."

"It helps if you have common interests too. Games, for example. Amateur astronomy. Food."

"Does eating count or does it have to be cooking?"

"I think eating counts too."

"Food's definitely a way into my heart," said Noctis. "And awful puns. God knows why I love them, but I do."

"So what you are saying is that there is more than _pun_ way into your heart."

"Oof!" Noctis cringed, his hand grabbing his chest for effect. "Yep, that's so bad and it hurts so good."

At this moment, the timer on the oven beeped, as if to announce the end of the match. Neither of them won.

But, watching Noctis eating the dessert and grinning at him, Ignis felt as though they were both winners, perhaps. Whatever else they might be to each other, they would always be friends.

And, Noctis in his smart shirt and moving appointments for this dinner and watching a film together and flirting. This was practically a date. Ignis was honest when he described the person he liked, and he hoped that Noctis was the same.

At first, he thought he would ask Noctis out at Tenebrae because he would regret it if he did not, even if he could not see what the chance of success was. Now, he felt optimistic.

*

The old Niflheim Empire called their weapon and troop carriers "magitek engines", but that was akin to referring to a car as a "motor" because that was what made it run. The preferred term for the magitek-run, passenger-carrying construction that was taking the King and Prince of Lucis and their retinue to Tenebrae was "airship". A misnomer, but the lesser of two evils as the words "magitek engine" could evoke fear and even hysteria.

This airship was not new — production had been put on hold since the fall of the old Empire, according to intelligence — but repurposed from one of the aforementioned troop carriers, and it showed. But the work was lovingly done, and it was one of the larger models, too, very comfortable and luxurious, befitting its passengers and the occasion. But that, to be honest, was not something any of the passengers were focussing on. From the moment they took off, everyone's eyes were on the breathtaking sights outside, and it was a long time before anyone sat down.

Two hours into the journey, and Noctis was sitting with his father, talking excitedly to him about something, when Ignis approached. Ignis bowed a little.

"Apologies for the interruption, but I thought you may be interested to know that we are quite near the Disc now."

King Regis's eyes lit up. The father and son followed Ignis to the window Ignis found that had the best viewing angle. Duscae stretched out below them, with roads converging at the city of Lestallum and the Disc of Cauthess to its south, crystal formations glowing brightly enough to be viewable even in the daylight.

They all stared like children, umm-ing and ahh-ing over the marvel they were flying over, then King Regis went to find Clarus who had his camera. Noctis, on the other hand, tugged his phone out from a pocket and snapped a photo with it.

He showed Ignis the screen: a picture of the Disc, with his hand in the foreground, as if waving. The caption said: "Saying hi to Titan on our way to Tenebrae!"

It was a public social media account Noctis had had since he was 15. The days when every post he made had to be approved by Ignis were long past, however. The prince had amassed no small amount of followers, and he made sure to keep them entertained with a post every week or so, then occasionally talked about various charitable causes he was involved with. It was a useful set up, really.

The post was already gaining attention, with most people wishing Noctis a safe trip.

"Oh," said Noctis, as if suddenly remembering something. He poked around on his phone's screen. "I got this email just now..."

He showed it to Ignis. It was from the university where Noctis was going to start his engineering studies after the holidays, announcing that they were going to open a new course in Solheim technology after successfully inviting lecturers from Niflheim to run the course.

"How awesome is that?"

"Indeed," Ignis agreed, smiling knowingly and feeling more than a little bit envious. "Have you applied to switch?"

"I was just talking to Dad about it, in case it's not a good idea," Noctis read the email again, "me learning from Niflheim lecturers, you know. He said go for it." He looked up at Ignis. "I don't know if they'll have me, though."

Ignis snorted. "An application from a smart, hardworking student whose main criticism from his teachers was 'his hair is too extreme'? Why, instant rejection of course," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Yeah yeah, says the one who's so clever he's got two degrees before most people are half way through their first."

"And you are not clever, going to university at 17? You started school early too, Noct." That earned Ignis a playful glare. "Reply to them and tell them you'd like to switch courses. It is always better to have tried and failed — not that there is any reason at all why you would be rejected."

"Alright, alright." Noctis typed his reply, stealing a look up. "Betcha wanna apply as well."

"To the course? I cannot afford the time."

"Good, cos you'd make me look bad."

"Ah, but consider the group project situation."

Noctis whistled. "Right, you're joining me, it's a royal order."

"And who will assist you with your royal duties if we are both full time students?"

"Aaaand my half-baked plan goes up in smoke." Noctis checked his email and hit _send_. "I'm gonna go tell Prompto."

With a smile on his face, Noctis went in search of his friend. As someone who grew up always worried about looking too needy or spoiled for praise, he would never ask for encouragement, but affirmation often helped and Ignis had long learned how best to give it — with humour.

A moment later, King Regis returned with his camera. He said nothing, but before he started snapping away at the scenery outside, he gave Ignis a pat on the shoulder and a thumbs up.

The airship could only take them most of the way to their destination. There not being enough space to land an airship of this size near Fenestala Manor, they touched down at one of Tenebrae's towns and continued their journey by a dedicated train, as the railway was famous for providing scenic views.

"The best of both worlds," said Ignis, smiling as he neared the platform with the "royal train". There were only two carriages for passengers, one for the king and prince, and another for their retinue. Old-fashioned, and he knew before Noctis rolled his eyes that they would all be sitting together.

"Best of both worlds?"

"Flying was wonderful, but there is a certain romance to train travel."

The words resulted in Ignis being under the stares of Noctis and Gladio. Then Noctis drew a breath. "Oh my god, I forgot you're a train hugger."

Ignis frowned at his friends. "What even is that?"

"Rail buff. Trainspotter. Train hugger. Same thing."

"I have no knowledge on the makers of engines and types of carriages, or anything else to do with the railway that would qualify me for such a title." Ignis heaved a sigh. "Please board, Noct, and take Prompto with you. We and the staff will load the luggages."

Eventually they were ready to depart, and Ignis found himself sitting at a set of four seats, with Noctis next to him, Gladio and Nyx opposite, with a table between them. And Prompto was slumped over the seats across the aisle. Feeling sorry for the poor boy, Ignis went to sit opposite him instead.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, I think."

There was a bit of colour back on Prompto's cheeks now. It turned out taking off and flying in an airship was fine, but landing did not agree with him at all.

"Would you like a drink? Some tea perhaps?"

"I'm good. Thanks Ignis. I'm just gonna nap."

"All right. I'll leave you alone for now then."

Ignis returned to his previous seat, where Noctis had folded his arms on the table and pillowed his head on them.

"Ah, you heard the N word."

"The N word?" Nyx asked.

Gladio gestured at Noctis. "Have you guys met? Noct, Knight of Naps."

From between the arms came a mumbling voice, and fingers twitched in a low-effort wave. "And that's Gladio, Crusader of Carrots, and," he paused to think, twisting his hand to point at Ignis, "Specs... Train Hugger."

Oh, no. Ignis was not going to allow that to stick. "Terrible attempt, Noct. That does not even alliterate. Crusader of Carrots is fine, however."

"Alright," Nyx rested his arms on the table and leans on them, palms slightly curled. "Would someone _please_ explain this carrot business to me. I've been hearing it on and off the whole day."

Diversion successful. "A joke," Ignis said before Gladio could get a word in, "at Gladio's expense. It's always this way at the Citadel: if you make a joke and someone manages to counter it, be prepared for relentless repeats until you come up with something to better it again."

"I'll have my moment again, just you wait," Gladio grumbled.

"'Always escalate'," Ignis explained, "is the culture at the Citadel; a single comment could be immortalised before you know it. For example, Sir Clarus and his colleagues occasionally make jokes about hammers. I once asked about it, and was told that it was something that started twenty years ago."

Nyx narrowed his eyes, as if judging them, but he couldn't stop his mouth from curling upwards. "You Citadel folks are strange."

"You're not wrong. Think of it as a reaction to the serious atmosphere, to seriously make jokes out of everything else."

Suddenly Noct spoke again, one hand gesturing lazily at Nyx. "Gallant of Galahd."

"Oh, very good, Noct." Ignis said as Nyx gaped, incredulous.

"I know. Are you happy now?"

"A single tear of pride is rolling down my cheek."

"Yay," Noctis said unenthusiastically, and curled his fingers into a v-sign.

"That—" Nyx began, and Ignis swiftly interrupted.

"Go with it, Nyx. There are many other words that begin with a G and not all of them pleasant."

That made Nyx pause to reconsider his protest, and in the end he just shook his head in resignation.

"By the way Iggy, I noticed how you _derailed_ the topic."

"I have had years of _training_ on steering conversations, Noct."

The train ride was not going to be long. Halfway there, and Gladio got up to drag Prompto onto his feet, the two of them going up to the little drinks bar near the front half of the carriage. Nyx also excused himself, leaving Ignis with a half-asleep Noctis beside him.

"Noct?"

"Hmm?"

"Look outside."

They had left town, the train had taken them through Tenebrae City, and now the scenery had completely changed. To their left, outside the window, was a sea of yellow flowers, likely planted and farmed for cooking oil. Beyond the flowers were gently rolling hills.

"Huh. Pretty."

"We will arrive before long, so try not to fall asleep again." Ignis watched Noctis rub his eyes. "Should I fetch you a coffee?"

"It's alright, I'm..." Noctis unfolded himself from the table properly, stretching a little, "...just about awake," he said, then promptly slumped against Ignis.

They sat and watched the scenery roll by.

"Iggy?"

"Yes?"

"So what's so romantic about trains?"

A fine question. Perhaps Ignis had phrased it wrongly before. "It's an old idea which doesn't much apply to the modern day anymore. But," he felt Noctis's head turn, shifting to look up at him. He met those blue eyes and smiled, "I do find there is romance in travel, but of course it depends on the company, as it does with all things."

Noctis turned back to face the window again, so that it was not possible to read his reaction.

"So you think it's romantic to go places?"

"I do. I just don't know how to explain it."

"Eh, some people think giving flowers is romantic, but when you think about it you're just killing flowers and displaying the corpses."

"Well, now I know not to give you flowers."

That tentative remark made Noctis glance back at Ignis for a second, flashing a playful smirk before looking away once more.

His hand was right there, under the table. Ignis had planned to do something appropriately sappy and then confess his feelings when they were in Tenebrae, but it would be so easy to just grasp that hand right now...

Then he nearly jumped out of his seat.

Her again!

"Hey," Noctis greeted the woman who suddenly appeared across the table from him and scared the life out of Ignis once again. "Gentiana."

Oh, Ignis could learn to hate Gentiana. At least this time he did not scream.

"It is heartening to see the Prince and the Lamplighter enjoy such closeness."

Bemused, Ignis frowned. Was she talking about Noctis and him? Did she just make up a name to refer to him as?

"Yeah, alright, but what's up?"

A smile, enigmatic as always. "Nothing, O Chosen One."

The reply surprised both men.

"So you're just... mucking around?" Noctis suggested, and she simply kept smiling.

Ignis recalled that night when she approached him and touched his face, fingertips brushing across his eyelids. Why did she do that?

"A man may be tested to know the true strength of his heart. A man may be tested in order to develop such strength. Or a man need not be tested, for his strength is a light that cannot be extinguished, now, or in the darkest days that will not come to pass."

With that, she stood. Instead of vanishing the way she tended to do, she walked down the carriage to, Ignis realised, see King Regis.

"Before you ask, I've no idea what she was talking about. But," Noctis sat up and smoothed down his clothes, "the gods don't really know what's going on right now, so I guess the spirits are twiddling their thumbs."

Did Noctis mean Gentiana was _bored_? That she had no tasks, no messages to relay from the gods, so she was doing whatever she felt like? What an irreverent thing to suggest.

When the train pulled in at their destination, Ignis once again helped with the luggages. The staff from Fenestala Manor were there to welcome the Lucian party, and they led the way alongside Gentiana, offering the use of a small airship or several cars for the final leg of the journey. The offer was, as Ignis would have expected, only partly accepted — the bags went with the airship, but everyone was going to walk. The manor was up a hill, a fair distance from the train station, but the route should be quite enjoyable. Even the king, with his temperamental knee, was keen for the stroll.

Two short bridges, and around a mile of gentle climb later, and they were suddenly greeted by a vast field of sylleblossoms in full bloom. The sea of flowers seemed to stretch endlessly to their left and right. There, on a slim path that parted the sea, stood the Oracle herself, and her brother Ravus behind her.

King Regis gestured for everyone to stop. His son carried on, however, the smile on his face growing with each step, moving forward until he was only several feet away from Lady Lunafreya.

"Noctis."

"Luna."

The Oracle and the Chosen One. The young friends separated by war had reunited, and they were laughing together like the children they once were.

Any doubt that had remained in Ignis's heart vanished. The war was over, and everything was going to be all right.


	6. Chapter 6

There were cameras. Gosh, were there cameras. And having spent so many years as a servant to the crown, Ignis was well-familiar with the sight of reporters and journalists.

This, however, was a first.

When they arrived at the manor, where the Lucis Caelums and their retinue had been invited to stay, the royalties were given a moment to rest, then shown into a hall where a bank of reporters were waiting quietly and patiently, like well-trained pets, nothing Ignis had ever seen before. Ignis and Gladio had been allowed to follow inside, but once satisfied with the arrangements, they left the handling to Sir Clarus and the Oracle's aides.

Ignis and Gladio rejoined the others, then Ignis, who had been sent a plan ahead of time, went on to direct everyone to their next actions, swiftly moving bags into the correct rooms. And then they were to gather at another hall where they were encouraged to socialise over teas and coffees with the staff of the manor.

Ignis himself stayed at the rooms for a while longer, unpacking for the king and the prince. Not everything, of course, there were personal bags that he was not to touch.

"You coping over there?"

"It's a little overwhelming, I must admit," Ignis told Gladio, who was waiting for him to finish before they went for drinks together. "My days as a chamberlain are still young. This really is a role for the Grand Chamberlain."

"Who thinks you're good enough for it."

"With his fear of flying, I don't think there was a choice even if I was not ready."

"Hey, Iggy, you've got this."

"Thank you. I should be more relaxed after the main event." Ignis unwrapped the attire specially designed for Prince Noctis for Lady Lunafreya's coronation. It had travelled here, along with other important garments, on a concierge trolley, all the way from Insomnia. No creases. It looked perfect. "Ah, totally worth the trouble."

That made Gladio snort. "This is the perfect job for you, mate."

Ignis arched an eyebrow. "Would you have liked to have to press this straight?"

"Ha. C'mon, even when there's Dustin at home to do the ironing I still don't wear a shirt when I don't have to ."

Ignis hung the outfit in the wardrobe. "Then don't laugh."

"Hn. You know what's funny though? That photo op." Gladio jabbed a thumb in the general direction of the hall where all the royalties were. "You think they're all scared of Prince Ravus? Cos I totally would be."

Ignis was rather in awe of the Niflheim-high-commander-turned-coups-d'état-leader, too. "I have heard that Lady Lunafreya is rather a force of nature. She could well have tamed those reporters herself."

"Be very afraid of the Nox Fleurets."

"You don't say."

After he was done, Ignis and Gladio went to drink tea with the others, and he was having a nice chat about biscuits with a lady named Maria when he received a message from Noctis.

_N: need your help with something. come over?_

After making an enquiry, Ignis was shown to the room where Noctis was, with the Nox Fleuret siblings. It seemed that the formal photos had been done and dusted; there were jackets draped over furniture and half-finished coffees on a sideboard.

Ignis bowed before entering.

"A quiz for the advisor." Noctis waved him over. "Luna's the Oracle and _almost_ the Queen of Tenebrae, but not yet. And Ravus is a prince? How am I supposed to greet them? Who bows to whom, does Luna have to curtsey at all, or should I just grovel at their feet for saving the world?"

It was true that Prince Noctis had never had to greet other royalties before. Well, actually there was Queen Sylva, Lunafreya and Ravus's late mother, but Noctis was only a small boy when he met her.

The answer was quite simple, though. "Your Highness—"

"Oh, this is Iggy, by the way," Noctis cut in, realising that he had not made introductions. "Ignis Scientia," a certain tone entered Noctis's voice, and Ignis cringed inwardly, fearing what his charge might say. "Advisor and chamberlain, MSc, MEng. BSc, too, but he says the bachelor's doesn't count now that he has the master's," he added with an eyeroll. "You already know him as _Speculoos_ , maker of fine, fine weapons and spells for us all in _King's Knight_."

"He has the longest job titles and qualifications of all present in this room," Ravus remarked, and Lunafreya nodded.

"I believe we should be curtseying to you."

With that, the Oracle, the Prince of Tenebrae and the Chosen One all bent their knees or dipped their heads at Ignis, and Ignis nearly passed out on the spot.

"Your Highnesses, please!" he bowed from the waist, immediately. "Please do not do this."

It was only for a laugh, he was certain, but dear god!

He stayed for a while longer, and managed to divert the conversation to _King's Knight_ , until it was time for Noctis to freshen up and get ready for dinner.

Ignis led the way, hoping that he could correctly remember how to find the way back to Noctis's room, and thankfully they arrived without incident.

He shut and locked the door behind them, then hung up the jacket he had been carrying for Noctis. Noctis sat down on the first chair he saw, and heaved a deep breath.

"Thanks."

"Was that what you wanted? I couldn't quite tell." It felt to Ignis like he was summoned for a reason, but the atmosphere was difficult to read; it did not seem like Noctis wanted to be rescued from an unwanted conversation.

"Yeah." Noctis curled forward, elbows on his thighs, then decided he actually wanted to slump back into his seat instead. "It just got a bit too heavy back there."

"Yes?"

"None of us have seen each other since..."

Ignis picked up another chair so that he could sit close to Noctis. Noctis had never talked about that day before, and Ignis did not think that he would start now, but it seemed right to stay close, for companionship if nothing else.

But perhaps today was the day to talk about what had happened.

"Ravus's mum was killed in front of everyone. Dad picked me up, right out of my wheelchair, then he grabbed Luna's hand and started running for it. Ravus kept shouting for help. Shouting, calling for my dad." Noctis turned his face away, his voice barely audible over the hands cupped over his mouth and nose. "But Luna... she decided to stay behind."

Lunafreya would have been twelve years old then. Despite her young age, she must have understood that as the next Oracle, she had bargaining power, so perhaps she would be able to protect her brother, and her people, in some ways. And from what Ignis had heard, King Regis only just managed to make it to safety with his son. If he had both children with him instead, the Lucian royal family would have met their end there without a shadow of a doubt.

"She protected everyone," said Ignis quietly. "Her family, as well as her friend, the Chosen One."

Noctis nodded. It took him a few minutes to continue.

"You know what happened next. Then just now, we were back there after the photo op, just the four of us, and I could tell Dad was really holding it in, seeing Luna and Ravus safe after all this time. He'd always felt guilty about what'd happened. I'd always felt guilty.

"But Ravus just... he just looked at Dad in the eye and said... he said... he was grateful that Dad tried to save Luna, and he understood how a parent would do anything to save his son, because his mother threw herself in front of him to save his life, too."

Ignis's throat went dry out of the sheer intensity of the emotions invoked in him, and he was merely an unrelated audience. He wanted to reach out and take Noctis's hand.

"And Dad," Noctis chuckled, turning to face Ignis, his eyes red-rimmed, "Dad nearly cried. Honestly everyone nearly cried. Dad said he was tired and needed a wash before dinner, and left first. The rest of us stood there, all awkward, so I decided to call you."

"I see." Gosh, his own voice sounded raw. Ignis swallowed hard and tried again. "Thank you for thinking of me when you needed someone."

"Ha."

"I'm not being sarcastic, Noct. I am glad to be here right now, listening to you."

"Really?"

"Of course." Ignis pushed himself to a stand. "Stay here, I'll make us some tea."

There was a bar area in one corner of the sizeable room, with snacks as well as tea and coffee facilities. Ignis filled the electric kettle from the water jug and flicked it on.

"I hated Ravus. I hated him so much for becoming one of the Nifs."

"You didn't know what His Highness was planning; none of us did."

"No, but," Noctis's voice became smaller again, and Ignis had to move closer so that he could hear him over the sound of the kettle. "You don't get it. It was _my fault_. The Nifs had always left Tenebrae alone, then Dad took me there and Ravus's home got invaded and everyone got killed. They were after me."

"Noctis."

"I hated Ravus so much, but I knew I didn't have the right to. He had to survive, too, and that's what he had to do, thanks to me. I couldn't hate him. So I hated myself."

In his chair, Noctis had folded himself forward, his face pressed into his knees. Ignis knelt down on one knee in front of him. "I would assume he has made it clear that he does not blame you for what had happened."

"Y-yeah," said Noctis. "I knew ever since he asked to join us on _King's Knight_ , but still... Iggy?"

"Yes?"

"That snake, it was looking for me too. Specifically me. You knew that."

That snake. The daemon which attacked the convoy carrying Noctis when he was just eight years old, and the resulting injury was the reason why King Regis took Noctis to Tenebrae to see the Oracle for healing, and why Noctis suffered from back pain for many years.

Just like that day in Tenebrae, it was an event Noctis never spoke about before. But Ignis was there that night, in one of the cars following behind and yes, that daemon was searching for the one with the blood of Lucis.

"You have been thinking, Noct, that your presence had led to the deaths of others. Our own people, and those from Tenebrae." Tentatively Ignis rested a hand on Noctis's shoulder.

"Yeah."

"But you know very well that it was not that simple, that if you were not the Chosen One, then it would have been someone else and the same thing would still have happened. The burden to bring back the Light has fallen on your shoulders, but the fight is not for you alone, but for all of us."

"Hmm."

"And you also know that what happened in Tenebrae was not caused by you, but by the old Empire's greed. They would _slay a god_ to get their way."

"I know. I know."

And that would be why Noctis did not talk about it all these years. He knew the arguments already. It wasn't just about him, and he didn't want to seem like he was begging for attention either. But knowing the facts did not automatically mean everything was all right.

"Meeting Prince Ravus and the Oracle again has helped?"

Noctis nodded, silent.

"Has to better than talking in the chatroom in _King's Knight_ ," Ignis added, and Noctis laughed.

"Yep." Finally Noctis lifted his face again. "You helped too."

Ignis tipped his head to one side in response.

"Things changed after that snake daemon appeared. People realised the Chosen thing was for real, I guess. I used to play with the other kids in the Citadel. After I woke up, there weren't other kids there anymore." Noctis shook his head. "You'd seen the daemon yourself, but you'd still sneak out of the Citadel with me in the middle of the night."

"We were still protected by the Wall," Ignis offered, as weak a point as it was. Fear, just like guilt, did not always follow rationale. "I also enjoyed the star gazing."

Ignis had been afraid of the daemons, too. But he was even more afraid of Noctis being alone if daemons were to appear again. Of Noctis being alone because nobody took their children to the Citadel any longer. Of Noctis stopping and looking around, and realising nobody would stand beside him anymore.

Perhaps it was part of Noctis's personality to begin with, but Ignis wondered if Noctis's introvertedness found its roots there; nobody could exclude or alienate you if you were not there to begin with. It seemed likely. Noctis used to be such a lively child before all that. Then, all those deaths, and the isolation.

"The star gazing was pretty good. Never got to see a shooting star though."

"Perhaps we can try again here."

"Might get a better view here too, it's up high and there's no other lights."

"Let's do it, Noct."

"Right, don't just talk about doing the thing. Do the thing." Noctis smiled. He looked calmer, more comfortable now. "Thanks, Iggy."

"Any time." Ignis rose to his feet. "I meant to make you some tea," he said, resuming the task.

"Could you make that a coffee?"

"Certainly."

Coffee made, Ignis left Noctis's room, returning to his own so that he could finally bathe after a long day of travelling and so that Noctis could get changed, and get some time to be alone after such an emotional reunion.

The room Ignis had been provided with was next to Noctis's, nearly as large as the ones that were hosting the king and the prince, much to Ignis's surprise. Sir Clarus and Gladio both stayed close too, but that was a given as they were shields to the crown. As for Prompto, he was apparently a personal friend of the Oracle's — what a strange world this was, Ignis thought — so if he received a large guest room on the floor below, it would not be much of a surprise. And it was not as if the manor did not have rooms aplenty, but a room like this, for Ignis? The Oracle and the prince were being far too kind.

That said, it was a kindness Ignis would gladly enjoy. After washing, he sent messages to check that Nyx and Prompto were doing all right, then he proceeded to get dressed while he took stock of what had just happened.

Noctis, opening up to him about the past.

Those were things that Ignis had gently nudged on a few times, over the years, usually around the anniversaries of Noctis's encounter with that daemon or Tenebrae's annexation, when he seemed particularly enervated and his eyes dull, as if his soul had retreated somewhere safe. He would often sleep longer on those days, and once while driving him when he was in this state, Ignis thought he had heard Noctis talk to Carbuncle in his sleep. When enquired, Noctis had smiled and said "yeah, Carbuncle's still here; he's always with me," but would not discuss anything else.

As with so many other things Ignis had tried where Noctis was concerned, he had not been successful.

Perhaps Noctis confided in Lunafreya, but Ignis wasn't certain. When they were younger he had seen Noctis pen pages upon pages in the note book Umbra ferried back and forth, filling it up so quickly that Ignis went and got him a pack of three new ones, just in case. In recent years the writing became ever so slightly less frequent, and now that Tenebrae was free, the mobile phone allowed them to chat easily, although Ignis had still seen Umbra faithfully delivering the note book. Looking at Noctis and Lunafreya now, Ignis would think that they were very close, whether they wrote to each other often or not.

In contrast, the words Noctis most often said to Ignis whenever Ignis showed concern were "I'm okay."

But today, after receiving forgiveness — no, after being absolved of his guilt, and reeling from emotions, Ignis was the person Noctis sought for, and opened up to. Noctis even said that Ignis had helped just by willing to abscond with him from the Citadel.

So Ignis hadn't done it all wrong, perhaps. Noctis did not open up to him before because Noctis was Noctis, not because Ignis was Ignis. And that was good, because Noctis wasn't the only one who needed affirmations once in a while.

Ignis looked around when he heard a chime, and picked up the phone he had left on his bed. Prompto had responded to his earlier message with a photo of himself and Nyx playing with Pryna and Umbra.

There were two ways Ignis could play this. The appropriate way, which was to remind them to get ready for dinner and for goodness sake do not misbehave, although Prompto wasn't really Ignis's responsibility. The other way was to encourage them to send him more pictures.

He knew well what the king and the prince were like. And he had just met the Oracle and Prince Ravus, as well as the manor's staff, and had a good idea what level of behaviour was considered acceptable here.

So he told Prompto to take more photos, and advised him that if he wanted to win Umbra's true affection, then he should know that Umbra preferred garula over gighee dog treats.

A mere few minutes later, Ignis had received a selection of pictures of Nyx, Prompto and the dogs in various combinations, which he diligently forwarded on to Noctis. A reaction came quickly, in reply to a particular picture of Umbra licking Nyx's nose.

_N: Naaaaaice  
I'm gonna show this to Luna and watch her face_

_I: You are so wonderful to your friends, Noct._

_N: And you are just as wonderful an enabler Specky_  
_She can't wait to meet him_  
_How soon do you think i can get them in the same room?_

"Specky". Well, this one was new. Ignis wasn't sure if he liked it.

_I: I don't know if I'm more worried for Lady Lunafreya or for Nyx._

_N: Just doing god's work remember?_

_I: So you are not "mucking around" like you suggested Gentiana was doing?_

_N: Admit it you're just as nosy about it as I am, don't worry I'll keep you updated_

_I: Again, please stop making me accessory to your crimes._

_N: You sent me pics, you're not accessory you're complicit now_

_I: I simply sent you photographs of your friends playing with dogs._

_N: Don't mean anything?_

_I: Exactly. No intention behind it at all._

_N: Well well I need to be more careful, in case I misunderstand other things you say or do with no real intention_

Perhaps it was only meant as a joke, but it was difficult to tell without tone of voice. Ignis decided to not take chances.

_I: I did mean it when I said my type was blue-eyed brunettes who liked star gazing._

He stared at the sentence — should he send it?

As his thumb hovered above the _send_ button, he heard a knock on the door and answered it to find Noctis standing on the other side, dressed for dinner. Noctis gestured at himself.

"Hey, this okay?"

Noctis looked very acceptable in his pinstriped suit, and he should know that. Suddenly Ignis recalled the night when Noctis asked him what he found attractive, and wondered if the question really was just to gauge his reaction. If so, he had no qualms with sharing it. And he better make sure Noctis understood that he meant it.

"I think you look impeccable and splendid," said Ignis with a soft smile. "Honest."

It was difficult for Ignis to resist the urge to put his hand on Noctis, even just to rest it on an arm, or let his fingers feel the fabric of the shirt collar. Gosh. He had always loved Noctis, in a way that he probably should not as a servant to the crown, he knew that. But Ignis had reasoned it as a form of admiration. He admired Noctis's tenacity, that refusal to buckle under the weight of his destiny. That quiet, stubborn strive for perfection despite knowing it was not possible, driven by the fear of letting others down and the desperate desire to help his father. It would have been so much easier to just shut down and pretend none of it was happening, but that was not Noctis's way. Even when Noctis pushed people away — Ignis could vividly recall when Noctis emotionally isolated himself when his father's health deteriorated — it was out of the feeling of powerlessness, and a mistaken belief that he should be doing more, doing better, and that it was his job alone. Ignis admired that, too, although he perhaps should not.

But how dare Noctis turn into such an attractive man in the short time Ignis went away to study, leaving Ignis with no choice but to admire him physically as well. When he said Noctis looked splendid, that was simply exactly what he thought.

The comment made Noctis look away, and he tapped the floor with the tip of his shoe.

"You ready to go?"

"Yes."

"Right, which way is it?"

"I think I know the way, but let me check." After he had locked the door behind them, Ignis got his phone out. He had a plan of the building saved onto it.

When he unlocked his phone, the screen that showed was the chat window he was typing in just a moment ago, with a reply composed but unsent.

He glanced at Noctis beside him, decided he had not finished writing his response, and added another line.

_I: I did mean it when I said my type was blue-eyed brunettes who liked star gazing.  
I find one particular star gazing blue-eyed brunette very tantalising indeed._

He hit _send_ , then quickly checked the plan of the manor for a route to the dining hall. "This way."

Just a second later, the phone inside Noctis's trouser pocket buzzed. They kept walking as he fished it out, shooting an odd look at Ignis when he saw that he had a message from the man.

"Fuck. Ignis!" When he read it, he swore, lifting his blue eyes up at Ignis to gape at him.

Oh, it would be a crime to pass on such an opportunity. "Maybe not right now, Noct."

Both their faces pink, they looked at each other, and even Ignis felt embarrassed despite those being his own words and his own joke.

Then the moment was, thankfully, broken by the sound of footsteps, followed by a voice from the end of the corridor.

"Ha, was looking for you guys," said Gladio, coming towards them. "Dinner? You know which way that is?

"Yes," Ignis held Noctis's gaze for a second more before looking away. "We're just on our way. Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going away for 2 weeks, so there might not be updates for a little while!


	7. Chapter 7

This being the house of the Oracle, Ignis had told himself to expect the unexpected: emotional reunions. People affected by the plague of Starscourge showing up at the doorstep. Messenger spirits. Messenger spirit dogs.

What he did not foresee was himself and the others eating in the same dining hall as the royals, and after the meal, to find himself talking with Lunafreya, who had drifted over casually.

"Ignis. Hello."

"Lady Lunafreya." Ignis started to stand — one must not remain seated when one of royal blood was standing — but she waved a hand and helped herself to a chair that had been vacated. "Ah..."

"Save the formality for later," she told him, referring to her coronation and all the events that were to follow, which would be attended by representatives from Accordo, Niflheim and other nations that had already successfully separated themselves from the Empire. "We are in the same free company, _Speculoos_. That makes us friends. So," she held her hand out, "I'm Lunafreya."

All right. Perhaps Ignis needed to remind himself that Lunafreya was just a person, too, just as he told Nyx that Noctis was just a person.

"Ignis." He shook her hand.

There was strength in her grip, despite her small hand and slender arm. Lunafreya was a petite woman, and had delicate features, powder blue eyes and a head of blonde hair. For the ignorant, it would be easy to underestimate her, but anyone who knew the atrocities she had faced would not make that mistake.

But right now, she was speaking to him as a friend, not as the Oracle. "Noctis tells me Gentiana keeps making you jump."

"Ah." Ignis let go of Lunafreya's hand and reflexively nudged his glasses. "It seems to amuse her."

"He also said that tonight's arrangements might have given you a heart attack."

"Noct talks too much," said Ignis, eliciting a laugh from Lunafreya. "I just thought we would be dining separately. In retrospect I should have known better than to expect protocol; your train with the servant carriage fooled me."

"That was not my idea, the railway company insisted. Ravus also said to provide it, you don't have to use it if you don't want to."

"It is a sensible suggestion I suppose," said Ignis. "It is very generous of you to be hosting us. Thank you."

"Oh, we love it. This house is meant to be filled with laughter. It was what my mother did, she used to always invite people over. Really, it has been many years since the manor was last so lively, we are all quite giddy about it."

Giddy? Ignis glanced beyond Lunafreya's shoulder to the table she had dined at earlier. Ravus was still there, with King Regis and Noctis. It seemed like the king was telling a story.

Ravus had not spoken much all day, at least not in Ignis's presence. At the start of the dinner the Oracle addressed everyone, welcoming them all into the manor, and King Regis spoke a few words, but the two princes had stayed quiet. Even earlier, when it was just the few of them chatting about _King's Knight_ , he still said very little. A man of few words, perhaps, or it was just a very strange day, as it was for everyone present. In any case, he certainly did not seem "giddy" to Ignis.

Following Ignis's gaze, Lunafreya traced his line of thought. "My brother's face is... ill-suited to showing joy." She pressed a finger along each of her brow, slanting outwards. "Sad puppy eyes, with the eyebrows to match."

It was one of those occasions when it would be rude to laugh, and rude not to laugh. To help hide his reaction, Ignis took off his glasses and pretended to pinch the bridge of his nose so that he could hide his grin behind his palm. "Lady Lunafreya—"

His words were interrupted by the distinctive sound of a phone vibrating. Lunafreya had a message, and after she read it, she giggled.

"Noctis wants to know what I have done to you."

They both looked to the other table, Ignis slipping his glasses back on as he turned. Noctis was pulling faces at them, mindless that the staff were clearing up around him. King Regis and Ravus were still engaged in conversation.

Lunafreya and Ignis both shrugged. Noctis shook his head dramatically, then, shielding his face on one side so that his father and Ravus could not see, and his other hand pointing at the far end of the room, he very clearly and comically mouthed the sentence: Nyx is over there.

Lunafreya swiftly turned away from Noctis again. "Um."

Nyx was indeed at the other end of the dining hall, wearing a suit borrowed from Noctis and standing around with some others with a drink in hand, rather like people outside a pub on an evening at the end of the work week. What to do, Ignis wondered. He wasn't sure why Lunafreya came over to him, really, but from what he had been told, she should definitely be wanting to meet Nyx, the man she requested Noctis to find for her.

"Lady Lunafreya? Would you like me to introduce you to the rest of our retinue?"

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Has Noctis said something to you?"

Hmm, honesty should be the best policy here. "When he befriended Nyx, I misunderstood the nature of their relationship, so he was forced to explain."

The answer clearly surprised Lunafreya. "Oh! I'm sorry, he was merely doing me a favour. That... must have been awkward?"

"A little. No harm was done, you don't need to apologise."

"You know, Noctis, he..." Lunafreya said, but her voice drifted and faltered, and she did not continue. Smiling, she shook her head, as if to clear her head of a reverie. "No. What would have come to pass in the future had Ravus failed in bringing down the Empire... it does not need to remain a secret, not to you anyway, Ignis. But there are still things I should not say, because there is joy in discovery."

Ignis could be privy to that future? Him, a mere servant? What was the Oracle talking about, joy in discovery? This was almost like listening to Gentiana.

"I shall have to borrow Noctis later tonight, to talk about that future. Then it will be up to him what he chooses to disclose to you." Lunafreya stood, graceful in her white fishtail gown. "But before that, yes please, I would very much like to meet the retinue."

*

Tenebrae being the home of the Oracle, the nights were safer here, just like the parts of Lucis that were under the protection of the Crystal. Even so, there were still havens to aid travellers, and Ignis made sure to have a map which included haven locations downloaded onto his phone. He wasn't sure when he would be able to go beyond Fenestala Manor's grounds, but according to his weather app, the skies were often clear at this time of year, so he was not worried.

The tricky part was how to sneak away unnoticed with the Crown Prince of Lucis. But they had done it before at the Citadel, they should be able to do it again here.

It was an odd evening. True to her word, Lunafreya and Noctis had gone somewhere, presumably to discuss the divine ordinance. When she was introduced to the Lucian retinue earlier, she spoke to Nyx only briefly, and later Ignis found her talking intently with Prompto instead. Like a sister trying to soothe her younger brother, she had held Prompto's hands as she spoke to him, and for a moment Ignis wondered if Prompto had been affected by the Starscourge and she was curing him of it, but that was of course none of Ignis's business.

Later on, while going to the drawing room where Gladio and the others were being taught a Tenebraen boardgame, Ignis got the wrong door and found Prompto with Ravus this time, the two sitting on a rug on the floor in front of an unlit fireplace, with Pryna happily dozing in the space between them. Not a combination of people Ignis would ever have expected to see, but again, curious as he was, it was still none of his business, so he made his apologies and left them alone.

The boardgame was being played in the room opposite. Ignis joined in for an hour and then excused himself. It had been a wonderful day, but a very long one too, with the organisation, the travel, and an emotional Noctis all before dinner. So he retired to his room, looked up havens that might be good for stargazing, and went to bed.

He wasn't sure what time it was when he sat up, woken by a series of knocks on his door. The curtains were drawn, but he could still tell it was pitch black outside, so it could not be morning yet. He turned on the bedside lamp so that he could navigate the unfamiliar room, and grabbed his short blades. Chances were this was just an innocent visit, but safety habits were drilled into him for good reasons, and he might also be feeling just a little homicidal right now, being woken up like this.

"Who is it?" He called out.

"Just me."

Noctis. Had he only just finished talking with the Oracle?

Ignis put his blades down and went to unlock his door, opening it to a corridor that was slightly better lit than his room. Noctis was outside, his suit jacket and tie in his hand, top button of his shirt undone.

"Sorry, I know it's really late. I really don't want to wake Dad up and I don't know where Prompto's room is..."

Hearing that, the annoyance that had been brewing in Ignis's head for being woken up evaporated. "Come in," he said simply, moving aside. Even as a child Noctis was not the type to look for his father in the middle of the night — he would not admit to wanting to do so, at least — so it would be cruel to tell him to go away now, however tired Ignis was.

Once inside, Noctis took off his shoes, not bothering with the shoelaces first. Ignis wasn't sure what to do. Ah, perhaps coffee—

"Ignis?" Noctis straightened up and said, stopping Ignis mid-turn. "Can you see me?"

"Hmm?" The room was dimly lit and Ignis hadn't put on his glasses, but, "my eyesight is not that bad, Noct."

He frowned, confused, when Noctis stepped forward, dropped the jacket and tie he was holding, and reached up. Hands rested on either side of Ignis's head, and pulled gently, so Ignis bent down, closing his eyes as Noctis leaned up and forward. This was like how the Oracle performed her healing, Ignis thought, but he couldn't understand what Noctis was doing, he only knew that Noctis was trembling terribly.

Ignis felt a kiss, pressed gently but firmly over his left eye.

Then Noctis pulled away.

"Noct?"

"Sorry. That was weird. I'm just..." A hand trailed, fingers brushing over Ignis's brow, the bridge of his nose, his mouth. The touch was not romantic or sexual, but full of care. "It's nothing."

That wasn't at all an explanation to his action. Now Ignis really didn't know what he should do. Gentiana had touched his eyes as well, some time ago. Was Noctis picking up the habit of being cryptic too?

Then Ignis remembered: _it would be up to him what he chooses to disclose to you,_ the Oracle had said, regarding the future that would no longer be. The curiosity burned, but it wasn't as if Ignis could ask about it.

"Are you feeling all right, Noct?" he asked, trying not to think about the fact that Noctis just kissed him over his eye.

"I'm fine," came the immediate, automatic reply, but Noctis choked a cough even before Ignis gave him a knowing look. "I... will be fine. You go back to bed."

Ignis allowed himself to chuckle. "Come now, you've woken me up already, at least make it worth my while."

That made Noctis tilt his head, and a smile flitted across his lips. Ignis let himself put an arm across Noctis's shoulders, and nudged him towards the wing chair near the bed. Noctis was still shaking. "Sit down. I'll make you some tea. You can go when you're done drinking it."

As the kettle boiled, Ignis took a pillow from his bed and slid it behind Noctis's back. The blanket was doubled up, then draped over him. And for distraction, a magazine on science and technology, which was what Ignis had on hand.

Then Ignis made the tea, put it on the side table, and retreated to his now rather empty bed, picking up his phone to occupy himself with after donning his glasses and pulling a coat over his pyjamas. He listened to the idle flicking of pages, of Noctis trying to sip the tea that was still too hot.

"Those," suddenly Noctis said, using his chin to point at something, "I can hang on to them for you."

He was referring to the blades. Although Ignis was the Crownsguard who spent the most amount of time with Noctis, he still had not got around to start using the Prince's powers; it just wasn't something that came to mind when they were together. And Ignis wasn't using the King's powers either, having dropped that connection when he went away to Accordo to study.

"We can do that when you are feeling better."

"Hmm."

A few more minutes, and Noctis put the magazine away. Tea in hand, he leaned against the side of the wing chair.

"They gave Luna visions," he murmured, voice soft, "of what was supposed to happen in the future. The one Ravus derailed."

By "they", Ignis assumed Noctis meant the gods. He said nothing, but put his phone down and looked up, to show that he was paying attention.

"Dad was going to die. Killed by the Nifs."

In short, quiet sentences, Noctis described the other future.

A show of insurmountable power by Niflheim, a peace treaty Lucis is forced to accept. Noctis is to marry the Oracle, and Lucis to surrender all lands to Niflheim save Insomnia.

Noctis sets off with Ignis, Gladio and Prompto for a political marriage. A road trip in Noctis's father's car. An uneasy one, but they try to make the best of it.

The treaty is a trap, and Lucis is also betrayed from within. Lunafreya, taken to Insomnia as bait, is rescued by Nyx, but the two of them cannot save King Regis or the Crystal. Lunafreya is entrusted with the Ring of the Lucii, and with it she escapes Insomnia, but not before Nyx uses it to awaken the Old Wall to fight the daemons Niflheim brought, at the cost of his own life.

Noctis only learns of the fall of his homeland just before taking a boat to Altissia, where he is to be wed. He finds out that his father knew this might happen, and has entrusted the fate of the people in Noctis's hands. He begins to gather the ancient arms of his ancestors in preparation to take back the Crystal and exact revenge.

Lunafreya forms covenants with the Astrals, so that they will aid the King of Kings, even though doing so shortens her life. Noctis finally meets her at Altissia, where she summons Leviathan for another covenant. Noctis receives his father's ring.

Lunafreya dies.

Ravus, who has been doing everything in his power to protect Lunafreya, is killed when he tries to return King Regis's glaive to Noctis.

From this point on, Noctis's recounting of the future became more vague: a long journey to Gralea, the ghost tower of Zegnautus Keep, retrieving his father's sword, finding the Crystal. It would have taken ten long years to bring back the light, Noctis said. The world would have been enveloped in darkness for ten years. A true apocalypse.

Ten years? If they had the Crystal, why would it have taken so long? There were details that Noctis was unwilling to impart, but Ignis could not bring himself to ask, not when Noctis had pulled his chair to the foot of the bed to sit right in front of Ignis, and he had curled up into a ball.

"It's stupid, getting upset over things that aren't gonna happen."

Noctis's father. Lunafreya. Ravus. Nyx. And so many others who would have suffered, who would have sacrificed their lives.

Insomnia, the city Ignis grew up in, abandoned, engulfed in darkness. Not just Insomnia, not just Lucis, but all of Eos overrun with daemons.

Shaken by the revelations, it took Ignis a second to find his voice. "It is not stupid. You've learned the strength of the love and conviction of those close to you. It is a lot to take in, but those are things you ought to know; I guess that was why the Oracle chose to tell you."

Ignis wondered what his own role would have been in that future. Noctis had not said a word about what Ignis would have done.

"Y-yeah." A hand appeared from the blanket cocoon, pulling one side lower. Noctis peered at Ignis over the edge, his eyes partially hidden by his hair, but he said nothing.

Oh, gosh. Ignis really didn't know what to do now. Practical and solution-focused, he was not the best at comforting people, and Noctis had always preferred to keep his struggles to himself anyway. This was new to them both.

"Iggy," said Noctis, staring at his toes, peeking out from under the blanket. "Things would have been really shit, obviously, but it would still have been a fun trip."

Hmm. Light-hearted banter, this Ignis knew how to do. He snorted. "The four of us, in the Regalia? I don't think I would have lasted more than a week. And would I end up doing all the driving? Gladio has never passed his test."

"Prompto and I would've been 20, we must have passed our driving tests by then."

"Possibly. _However_."

"Haha, yeah, you'd definitely be the driver." At Ignis's look of distrust, Noctis laughed. "We'd end up camping a lot, I think."

"Not possible. Imagine the stench."

They had camped before, in the more rural areas of Insomnia, where there were wild animals that were small enough for them to handle. It was a kind of training, in a way, but also recreational. And chocobo riding was particularly fun. But those were trips for the weekend, not for weeks on end.

"I dunno, maybe we'd wash at rivers or something?"

"That would be quite something. The Crown Prince, stark naked at a river."

"When push comes to shove, right? Would you rather I smell?"

"Well, if you put it that way."

"You know, we should go camping sometime."

"Capital idea. Somewhere in Duscae perhaps? There are many fishing locations in that region, I hear."

"Now we're talking!" Noctis grinned wryly, one socked foot sticking forward to tap Ignis on the shin. "Hey. Thanks."

"I haven't done anything."

"You don't need to."

Silence. Noctis's gaze was fixed on Ignis now, as if studying him, with a look of _knowing_ that made Ignis feel strangely exposed.

No, "exposed" sounded malicious, and this was anything but. This was understanding, this was acceptance, this was trust.

"You don't need to do anything," Noctis repeated, his lips quivering. "I know what you would have done."

What Ignis would have done, knowledge of which Noctis had not shared. He hoped that he would have been courageous, that he would have given his all for Lucis. For Noctis.

Ignis closed his eyes when Noctis shifted to a kneeling position and tipped himself forward, pressing his forehead to Ignis's shoulder.

"...Noct?"

"Thank you, for everything that you are, and everything that you won't have to be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just got back from holiday, and now being punished by all the work that's accumulated during my time away, haha... This is one of the busiest times of the year work-wise but I'll try to update as regularly as I can!


	8. Chapter 8

Day two in Tenebrae. Ignis got out of bed at four o'clock in the morning. His tasks were: check that the staff placement for the coronation was satisfactory. Rehearse for the coronation. Ensure everyone knew their tasks and looked their best. Travel to the palace. Wait as other dignitaries arrive. Attend the coronation. Remain with Sir Clarus and Gladio as advisor and guard at the palace during the state dinner. Return to Fenestala Manor.

Ignis's actual priority was: make sure that Noctis was all right.

To be perfectly honest, Ignis did not appreciate Lunafreya's timing, choosing to tell Noctis about the calamity that could have been their future the night before the world's attention would focus on him. And that was not an exaggeration — it was well known that the lines of the Lucis and that of the Oracle enjoyed a special bond through the ages. When Lunafreya took the crown, everyone would look at her, but they would also look at Noctis. And Noctis did not enjoy being scrutinised by the media even on the best of days. In Lucis there was agreement between the Citadel and the media that _the prince was not to be bothered_ , but this was not Lucis, and this was not just Noctis popping out to buy some noodles. At an event like this, Ignis hated to admit it but Noctis was almost fair game.

After the quick rehearsal on the manor's front lawn, Ignis made his way to Gladio, who was crouching down and giving Umbra the dog some solid scritching behind the ears.

"Hey, what's with our prince today?" he asked Ignis, tipping his head towards Noctis in the distance.

"What's with him?"

"Dunno, just weird and kind of clingy. Following his dad around all morning. I went to talk to him about something and he suddenly gave me a hug."

All things considered, Ignis thought Noctis was behaving very well so far. If Ignis was the one who discovered that everyone around him would suffer or die, and the last thing his father would do was to lie in order to get him to safety, Ignis was not sure if he would be very functional at all today.

But how much was Gladio allowed to know? Ignis wasn't even sure if Gladio was aware that what was happening right now was not what fate originally had in store for them.

"I think he is uncomfortable about today — all those cameras." Ignis told Gladio. "Help him whenever you can. I am only the chamberlain."

Gladio nodded knowingly "I'll be on maximum shield mode. You won't need to go on a rampage killing anyone who upsets Noct."

"Don't exaggerate." Ignis bent down to stroke Umbra, letting his hand run down wonderfully soft fur near the throat. Umbra seemed to like it, and it was so soothing. "There's a good boy."

Gosh, Ignis wished he could do more. Well, he _could_ — he was no ordinary chamberlain, but a Crownsguard — but everyone had their roles to play. Unless the Prince's wellbeing was seriously threatened and the situation could not be brought under control by others, Ignis must not and would not enter the fray. Not to mention that he only started to train seriously four years ago, the contributions he could make in a fight were likely minimal compared with the others.

"I always tell things as they are. You're all wound up as well."

"Ah." A sigh. Ignis shouldn't say anything, really, but a bit of venting now would help him get through the rest of the day more easily. "Lady Lunafreya had a serious but non-urgent discussion with Noct last night. I think she timed it rather poorly."

"Wow wow," Gladio held his hands before him, palms outward, and leaned back dramatically. "You bitchin' about the Oracle?"

"The Oracle is not infallible. As Noct's long time friend, she should have known better than to—" Pause. "You are right. I should stop." One last stroke for Umbra, then Ignis straightened up. "Let's go get ourselves sorted out; there is much to get done."

After an early lunch, they started getting ready, with the handmaidens and valets Ignis had arranged for smoothing down every wrinkle and combing every loose strand of hair into place. It was also the first time Ignis had a wet shave. The experience was novel and the results superb, but having someone wield a sharp blade at his throat was anxiety-inducing, and seeing it done to Noctis was even worse.

Afterwards, Noctis rubbed his chin, grinning in a way that told Ignis he was not the only one to feel pleased by the smoothness.

"You only have a few hairs to begin with anyway, don't you?" Ignis asked him, not in a way that could be seen as poking fun, because that was Gladio's speciality.

"Yeah, just a bit of fluff really. But give me a few years and I'll probably be pretty hairy," said Noctis. Judging by the portraits of the Lucis Caelums before him, he was likely to be right. "This is so nice though — feel it!"

Ignis pulled his hand away before Noctis could grasp it. "It's quite all right; I can feel my own," he said, then realised the reaction might have been too abrupt given the circumstances, so he made sure to smile before Noctis looked away in embarrassment.

The circumstances. Perhaps Ignis should not think of it like that, but this was not the time to address what had happened last night — Ignis sitting at the foot of the bed and Noctis kneeling in the chair right in front of him, trembling hands feeling his face in the semi-darkness. Ignis allowed it; it seemed like something Noctis needed to do in order to reassure himself, but for what reason, Ignis did not know.

At one point, Ignis did a rare thing: act on his impulse. He caught Noctis's hand, and turned his head to kiss the pulse point on the wrist. Noctis's heartbeat, already too fast, became even more rapid against Ignis's lips.

They stayed like this, completely still, until calmness took over, enveloping them both like a familiar blanket, warm, comforting.

Then Ignis let go, and they said their goodnights, and Noctis returned to his room.

Yes, if Noctis would allow it, Ignis would like to touch his face, stroke his cheek, let his thumb brush over his lips. But this was not the time nor the place.

"You're looking really nice, by the way," A blush crept up Noctis's neck as he said the words, but he carried on. "And by 'nice' I mean pretty amazing. You're so... fitted, god, you look like a model."

And that made Ignis turn a shade of pink himself. "The tailors did a splendid job, that's all. You look very good yourself, Noct."

"Yeah yeah." A shrug, so non-committal that Noctis only used one shoulder.

This was not the time nor the place, but it hurt to see Noctis so dismissive of himself that Ignis shifted forward and dipped his head so that he could whisper into Noctis's ear, in a way that hopefully looked like he was just sharing a professional secret, to the average onlooker.

"I truly do like the way you look," Ignis told Noctis, "And by 'like' I mean love."

A gasp. "...Ignis!"

Ignis pulled away, and nudged his glasses with a knuckle. "I mean it."

They looked left and right. They were starting to draw attention, with Gladio frowning at them, possibly wondering what was going on.

"I can't believe you," Noctis muttered, nervously adjusting his tie, then twitched when Ignis gently removed his hands and took over the task. "Specs."

"You are wonderful, Noct."

"Shut up!"

"Hmm, may I tell you about it another time?" The tie was already perfect. Ignis just fiddled with it and then smoothed back it down against Noctis's chest, his hand staying a fraction of a second longer than it should.

"M-maybe."

Any more of this and Ignis would have to get himself a cold drink and some fresh air. He took a step back, out of Noctis's immediate space. Gladio was still studying them. "Go and talk to Gladio; he has been quite unhappy about having to wear a suit. He said he looked like a bouncer."

"Um, right. I'll... tell him he _suits_ the suit?" Noctis suggested. "Okay, or too awful?"

"Normally I would say the worse the better, but perhaps that's not _suitable_ when he is not feeling confident; he might take offense," said Ignis, glancing at Gladio and smiling at him. "Also don't be _too_ complimentary — he might think you are _pressing a suit_."

"You're on form today." Finally, a snort, breaking the intense atmosphere. "Gotcha, I'll talk to him."

Eventually everyone was ready, and they made their way to the palace, just a half hour drive from the manor. The next few hours passed like a blur which Ignis could hardly remember. It reminded him of what a cousin told him regarding her own wedding, that she was there, she was fully engaged in every aspect, but so much was taking place all at once that she could not recall most of it until she saw the photos afterwards.

Of the day, Ignis could only remember a few things: how radiant Lunafreya was. The look in Ravus's eyes, so full of love. Noctis's unadulterated joy. The moment Gentiana placed the crown upon Lunafreya's head. Through it all there were music, and songs, and a constant stream of instructions and information coming through Ignis's earpiece. And of top of that, Ignis had to continually assess the surroundings and react to suit, but that was all automatic. At one point, when Gladio was preoccupied, Ignis had stepped in to shield Noctis and King Regis from the cameras when Noctis had a particularly emotional moment and his father was helping him gather himself again. With assistance from Nyx, who moved in to do the same, and one of Ravus's people who forced the cameras back, father and son managed to have five minutes of privacy. Ignis had thanked both men with a smile, but the situation meant he would rather not speak unless absolutely necessary.

The next time Ignis had anything that resembled a casual conversation, the skies were darkening and he was in the dining hall of the palace, standing with his back to a wall, talking to Gladio over the mic clipped to his lapel

"That smells so good," said Gladio, who was at the other end of the room.

"Agreed."

Ignis was doing his best to remain expressionless. The others in their Lucian party had already headed back to Fenestala Manor, leaving Sir Clarus, Gladio and Ignis on security and advisory duties as King Regis and Prince Noctis enjoyed dinner with the other dignitaries. Despite being the sort of person who was rarely properly hungry, the food smelled glorious and Ignis was rather grateful that Gladio was not complaining as much as Ignis would have expected him to.

"They better have something really delicious for us later."

"Maria told me that the kitchen at the manor will serve us hog roast; they're cooking three pigs for the staff."

"Nice. Who's Maria? You chatting up the ladies Iggy?"

"She is Her Majesty's retainer."

"Oh, the little old lady." A pause. "Speaking of ladies, who's that? The one with the silvery hair. I'm sure I knew her face from somewhere."

Ignis's eyes swept across the room, trying to figure out which woman Gladio meant. Ah. The handsome woman who looked to be in her early 60s. "The one in white? Security from Fenestala Manor, I believe, although I have not seen her until today. She and the other senior member have been most helpful earlier."

"She's been pretty amazing, yeah. But no, not her, I mean the young one, in the dark red suit."

Ignis knew exactly who Gladio meant now. "Ms Highwind."

"Who is?"

"The person who brought down Niflheim Empire with Prince Ravus? The other leader of the coup d'etat?"

"Oh. Oh, shit. Of course!"

" _Gladio_."

"I do watch the news and go to security briefings. Honest."

Ignis sighed lightly, and even Sir Clarus tsk'ed over the connection.

Quietness returned for a while, until around the dessert course.

"So, Iggy."

"Gladio."

"Are you gonna tell me what actually happened?"

No use pretending. "With Noct?" Ignis asked, and received a "hmm". "It's to do with the ordinance. Not up to me to tell, and I know very little anyway."

"But it's bad news, from the looks of it."

"It's not, as far as I am aware. Not bad news, merely serious."

"Right." A pause. "And is there anything you can or want to tell me?"

Gladio must have noticed something, then. The slight shift in dynamics between Ignis and Noctis since Ignis's return from his studies, perhaps, or the more obvious closeness the two of them shared now. What could Ignis say? He hoped... well, he was quite certain that Noctis returned his feelings, but they hadn't quite had the chance to do something about it yet. Until then, and until Noctis wanted to let anyone know, Ignis was inclined to keep this a secret, not to deceive his friend but out of respect for Noctis.

Besides, Ignis was rather aware that Sir Clarus, Gladio's father and close friend of King Regis, could hear every word of this conversation.

"My apologies, but not right now, Gladio."

"Hmm, alright."

The state dinner was the final official event of the day, at the end of which Ignis drove the others back, following the car that carried the new Queen of Tenebrae. Once back at the manor, the kitchen staff kindly served them the promised hog roast, the Tenebraen celebration food of choice.

They were halfway through their food when Ignis received a message from Noctis.

_N: Where are you at?_

_I: The staff dining room._ Ignis replied, getting up. _Where are you? I can come over._

_N: Ohhhhhh yeah. Don't worry stay and eat your dinner_

_I: Are you certain?_

_N: Eat! :)_

Ignis finished his late but truly wonderful dinner at double speed, then begged the cooks to let him borrow their kitchen, much to people's amusement. But he had an idea which might prove worthwhile later.

Once he was done, he went in search of Noctis, still quite worried about him. The past two days had been particularly intense, of course, but there were also all the months that cumulated to Tenebrae becoming free once more and Lunafreya taking her crown. Knowing Noctis, he would likely prefer some quiet company right now.

_I: I've eaten. Where are you?_

No reply. Ignis wandered around a little, checking Noctis's room, and then Prompto's room, but finding no one. He didn't really want to ask anyone, however; people would misunderstand and offer to help search, and that was not what Ignis wanted.

Eventually, back near the drawing room where he played boardgame in the night before, Ignis ran into Nyx with two of the staff: the greying man who had helped with protecting Noctis during the coronation ceremony, dressed in black, and the woman in white, with youthful eyes that sparkled despite her advanced years. Judging by their builds and their clothing, they may both be trained fighters, or trusted messengers.

Earlier Ignis had thought that he ought to find out who they were and thank them properly, but, worried about Noctis, he didn't really want to stop for a chat right now. So instead he smiled and nodded at them and carried on walking.

"Your prince is with Prompto at the flower fields," said the woman suddenly as Ignis hurried past, "if you're looking for him."

"Oh," Ignis skidded to a stop, embarrassed that he hadn't even considered slowing down to say hello. "My thanks. I think we've met briefly earlier but were not properly introduced. I'm Ignis. You are..."

"The south doors would be the quickest route." The man spoke this time, not offering his name.

Was it Ignis's imagination or were they looking at him oddly? The man especially, his black eyes...

...Oh.

_Oh._

Realisation dawned.

And Ignis thought this place had finally run out of surprises for him.

"The Chamberlain knows us, I see," said the man, his voice a definite bass and with a beautiful tremor, the sort one would expect to hear reading sonnets on stage.

"I, ah, I believe I do." Ignis scrambled for words, his brain trying to adjust to the new revelation before his eyes. "Garula," he said, his gaze meeting with the man dressed in black. "You do prefer garula?"

"Oh, definitely. Much better chew than gighee," the man said with the dramatic discernment of a food critic. "I am partial to myrltrout also, but that would be a rare treat."

"I shall bear that in mind." Ignis tipped his head in a slight nod.

That drew a laugh from the pair, and made Nyx raise his eyebrows.

"So you guys know each other?"

"Oh, for many years. Just not met in person, am I right, Lamplighter?"

The man was smirking. The woman seemed entertained. Nyx was puzzled. And Ignis was trying not to squirm.

He nudged his glasses. "Yes. Since I was a child, in fact."

"An adorable kid, he was." The old man told Nyx, one eyebrow raised, and making Ignis feel even more uncomfortable than before, although he had absolutely no reason to be. This was simply unexpected. If he took a moment to consider the situation, he should be delighted and thankful, and maybe a touch annoyed that he had been kept in the dark about this for so long. Did Noctis know?

"Ah, should I make introductions, or..." asked Ignis, seeing the look in the man's eyes. "I gather that we are keeping Nyx guessing a little longer."

"Hey—"

"Best of luck." Ignis said ominously to Nyx, then looked at the others. "Perhaps we could chat another time, if there is the chance? I must go see to my prince now."

He must be looking quite flustered, because he received some very amused looks. Best not linger here. South doors, they said...

"Go to him. You are a good boy, Lamplighter."

Damn it. Should have seen that coming. "Ah. Hmm. Well, until next time. And oh," words came out of his mouth before he could take the time to consider them. He must be tired. "Nyx, Her Majesty was looking for you."

He left swiftly, before Nyx could ask questions, but not before he caught sight of the woman's closed-mouth grin. She would probably take it from here.

Just doing god's work.

Knowing that Noctis was with Prompto, Ignis felt a bit more at ease than before. Prompto wasn't someone Ignis knew well at all — in his head Prompto was very much "Noctis's friend" rather than "my friend" — but from what he had been told about the other future that was meant to take place three years from now, they would have become close friends, going through life and death together. It was near impossible to imagine, but the knowledge still made Ignis feel quite warm towards Prompto.

As Ignis neared the south side of the manor, his phone buzzed with a message.

_N: Hey sorry just saw your text. Prompto needed my help with something, now we're just chatting  
Don't worry about me, go sleep if you're tired, you've worked like crazy today_

_I: I'm fine._

_N: Well so am I Specky_

But apparently Prompto was not fine, needing the attention of three royals in the space of two days. Whatever his problem was, Ignis hoped he wasn't just unloading onto Noctis, and was giving Noctis the friendship he needed too.

 _I: If we are both fine, then it would be acceptable for me to wait to say goodnight to you?_ Ignis typed as he neared the white-framed windows at the southern stairwell. The grounds outside were lit by streetlamps, but he probably would not see Noctis and Prompto even if he looked out from here...

Or he could, because the pair were on a bench just outside the doors, one floor below. At this angle, it was mostly the tops of their heads that were in view. Noctis was reading his phone. Then Prompto leaned over, and Noctis held his phone against his chest so that his screen could not be seen. There was some flailing and shoving, then Noctis took Prompto's hand.

Ignis felt his chest clench as Noctis brought Prompto's hand to his lips, as if to kiss it. He had thought that those two might have romantic feelings for each other, once upon a time. Had he been right? Was Noctis's flirting with Ignis just a bit of fun?

Then he realised. Ignis's lips curled into a smile when he saw that Noctis was reenacting what had happened last night. Prompto jerked his hand back, covering his mouth with it, bouncing up and down on the bench like an excited child, and Noctis curled up, tipping himself towards his friend until his head bumped squarely in Prompto's stomach.

Oh, what Ignis would give to hear the words being exchanged right now. To see Noctis do this, tell his best friend about what had happened and acting as though he was enchanted... Ignis was thrilled, too, but he didn't know who he could talk to about it.

The simple solution was, of course, to tell Noctis. Ignis planned to.

Eventually Noctis sat up again and typed a reply on his phone.

_N: Let you know when I'm back. Might be a while tho_

Below, Prompto was pushing Noctis on one shoulder and doing a shooing gesture, and kept at it when Noctis shook his head.

 _I: Don't be too long; I know you're on holiday now, but_ Ignis wrote, then stopped when another text came through:

_N: Say, 20 mins?_

Ignis deleted his message and started again. _I: I'll get the coffee brewing._

_N: OK_

Ignis put his phone away. Twenty minutes. That would be just enough time.

*

The scent rather gave it away, but it meant Ignis got to enjoy the look of delight blossoming on Noctis's face as he entered the room. Immediately Noctis moved over to the little table, where Ignis sat his silver tray down. Coffee, and small fruit pies. Maria thoroughly made fun of him when she let him use the kitchen again and found out he had prepared pastry earlier, but it was worth the trouble.

"You _baked_?" Noctis lifted the lid over the pies, still hot from the oven. "I'm going to get so fat."

"You will have to be eating much, much more to get anywhere near 'fat'." Ignis tipped his head to one side gently. "But you did have a four-course dinner, so don't feel obliged to—"

"Iggy."

"And it's only a simplified version as I had—"

"Ignis." Noctis moved closer, leaning his hip against the edge of the table. From his coat pocket he produced a small bundle of something, wrapped in a napkin. "Hope I haven't squished it... here."

The bundle contained two pieces of sugar confections, square in shape, clear blue and with small petals of darker blue and golden yellow set inside. Ignis had seen them earlier today, being served at the dinner tables at the palace.

"They're made with flowers. I had one and it was really nice and... well, thought you might want to try them."

Ignis looked up from the sweets, eyes wide. Noctis sneaked these from his plate during a state dinner and put them in his pocket to take to Ignis? " _Noct_."

A shrug. "Hey, you just went and baked at Fenestala Manor," Noctis pointed out, "and didn't even change out of your nice outfit to do it."

"Ah, well," Ignis looked down at himself, still wearing the three-piece suit tailored for him for the coronation. "I hadn't the time."

"It's not a problem; you look really nice in it. I told you already."

Somehow, they managed to navigate themselves away from the compliments and taste the sweets instead. They were wonderful — sweet and floral, but delicately so, unlike other flower-based desserts that could end up tasting like soap. There was a small touch of alcohol in it. Gin, perhaps? Ignis couldn't quite tell.

"I just thought you might like it." As if spotting the gears in Ignis's head turning, Noctis pointed out. "It's not a hint for you to start trying to make it for me, alright?"

Ignis snorted gently. "All right."

"But," Noctis picked up the pie Ignis had spent years trying to make for him, "I'm gonna have one of these right now."

"Careful; it might still be very hot inside."

The warning earned Ignis some narrowed eyes. He poured them both coffee, and they just stood in silence, enjoying their late snacks. There were conversations Ignis could make — ask after Prompto, for example, or talk about Lunafreya's coronation, or mention the strange pair of greying man and woman he met earlier. But this was comfortable. This was a bit of downtime after all the buildup, and it could be just about them.

After a while, Noctis decided to say something.

"Any plans for tonight?"

"To bed, after this. It's been a long, exhausting day."

"Finally gonna relax, hmm?"

"Yes, now that the main event is over. You should do the same."

"I will. But gonna do some yoga first."

"Ah, did the Oracle..."

"She did the thing for me last night. I still gotta keep working on it though."

"I see. I've been wondering, actually, if you think massage would help?"

"Hmm, I don't know. Didn't used to, but it might now?"

"I can arrange to have professionals to see you. And... um... I could look into getting some training so that I can help you myself as well?"

"Um. Yeah... that... would be nice. I mean, only if you have time. Don't try to do a million things, Iggy."

"Says the one with, oh, university, and the defense force, and charity projects, and combat training..."

"Maybe I learned it from a certain someone who never stops."

"Well. Touché."

"Heh."

When his pie was finished, Noctis sucked the tips of his fingers, a gesture that was more sensual than he probably intended. Ignis dipped his gaze, then decided that, no, he wasn't going to miss this. If Noctis decided to do this in front of him, then he would damn well look.

If Noctis had not realised at first, he definitely knew now, one corner of his lips pulling up in a wry smile, his eyes watching as Ignis watched.

"Hmm, so good," Noctis hummed, and Ignis nearly cursed. Dreadful boy. When had Noctis learned to be such a little devil? And why was Ignis, 20 years old, going all throat-dry like he was experiencing hormones for the first time? And how should he react to this, what was acceptable and what did Noctis want? Was he overthinking again?

Just play along, Ignis, and see where this goes.

"We both grew up in the Citadel," said Ignis casually, pouring coffee for them both. It had gone quite cold already, but nevermind. "So you should know that I am always ready to escalate the situation."

"That is the tradition," Noctis responded, with a nervous smile. "But what would you do?"

"Well." Oh, this was putting Ignis on the spot. "First of all... I would tempt you by, oh, I don't know, lightly sucking my fingertips and smiling at you."

"Mm hmm..."

"And maybe I would suddenly find this room quite warm, and..." Fingers deftly unbuttoned the jacket, then pulled at the knot of the tie, loosening it until Ignis could pull the silk off his neck in one smooth motion. Then, letting the tips of his finger slide down the adam's apple, he flicked his top two shirt buttons open.

Noctis was about to pick up his coffee, but he thought the better of it, his eyes glued to where Ignis's fingers were resting, just at the collar. Ignis arched an eyebrow at him, waiting for a response.

"Wow."

"You wanted to know what I would do," Ignis murmured, keeping his voice low. "And I would guess it's now your turn."

Noctis swallowed visibly. But in the next few moments, he had assessed the situation and clearly come up with an idea, which was not what Ignis was expecting. This was the sort of game drunken teenagers would play, not sober adults. Noctis could simply just laugh it off.

"Well." He straightened up, pulled his shoulders back. "In that case, what I would do," he started to shuffle on his feet a bit, hands worrying at the edges of his cuffs, but he still sounded perfectly confident, "is ask you: would you go on a date with me?"

Ah.

Oh, _gosh_. Noctis just...

Ignis had no idea what his face looked like at the moment, probably like a man who had just been asked out by someone he fancied very much. Surprised, elated, his heart swelling in his chest.

"You win this time. There is no way I can top that," he managed to say, certain that his face was tinged pink. "I have been waiting, thinking of ways to ask you the same question..."

Noctis was smiling now, the corners of his eyes crinkling up. "Tough. You took too long, I got there first. So do you want to go on a date with me? Tomorrow night?"

Pipped to the post. Oh, damn Noctis for being so wonderful. At this point there was nothing Ignis could say besides: "I would love to."

"Good, I'll sort something out... leave it to me, okay?"

Soon after, back in his own room, Ignis fell into bed, grinning like a fool and wishing he could talk to someone just like Noctis talked to Prompto earlier. Gladio? No, Gladio would have too much opinion and too many questions to just listen, Ignis would prefer to at least wait until after the first date before telling him. There was no one else here whom he could count as a close friend, however...

Ignis heard the faint footfalls, punctuated by the clatter of nails on floor tiles, before he saw anything. But somewhere in the back of his head he knew what was happening, and he sat up, staring at the space in front of him as Umbra materialised, Gentiana following behind.

He slid onto the floor, kneeling, so that he was at the right height to put his arms around the dog. Umbra nuzzled him. Above, he could hear Gentiana's melodic chuckle. Oh, this was the oddest experience, to be in the company of these messengers, especially after having _talked_ to Umbra earlier. But they had always been around as Ignis grew up, and now he realised they were closer to him than he had ever thought, that they cared about not just Noctis, but Ignis, too.

"Thank you for your help at the ceremony today," he said, gently, to Umbra. "Come to think of it... how embarrassing, you must have heard my complaint about Lady Lunafreya at Gladio this morning. Was that why you helped me out during the coronation?"

Umbra responded with a small, quiet bark.

"Well." Ignis let go, and sat on his heels, his gaze sweeping up from Umbra to Gentiana. "I don't suppose you two could help me with picking something to wear for my date with the King of the Stone?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just really want to have Noctis ask Ignis out, for once. Seem to see a lot of it the other way around.
> 
> The human forms of Umbra and Pryna is a little tribute to the original character designs where they were meant to have human forms, but that part ended up getting cut out in the final game because of deadline. =/ Would've been so cool to see them as humans.
> 
> Next update will hopefully be up in 1-2 weeks, can't say for sure because work and other obligations are leaving me half dead.
> 
> btw I'm @midnightmaple on twitter. It's a general account not a fandom specific one, though I do RT a lot of FFXV, so do pop by if you like!
> 
> (Last but not least, for seki: DREADFUL BOY.)


	9. Chapter 9

Swords clashed, blades pushed against one another at full strength. For a second it seemed like Noctis was at a clear disadvantage, but it soon became clear that he had learned how to handle an opponent like Gladio, shifting his legs so that he could bear the weight more easily and then, twisting his torso in a manner Ignis had never seen before, spun away, pivoting on one heel. Losing support, Gladio stumbled forward, then groaned in pain as the flat of Noctis's sword struck him in the back as part of the spin, sending him straight to the ground.

"Goodness," Ignis uttered under his breath. He rarely watched Noctis and Gladio fight, and had not realised that Gladio had ceased being the teacher and was now a sparring partner. In a real battle, using the edges of the blades instead, that blow could have been fatal. Luckily, rolling onto his back and groaning as he fumbled for a potion, Gladio only suffered bruises to his body and to his ego.

Beside Ignis, also watching the outdoor practice on the grass — the way generations of Nox Fleurets and their staff practised — was Lunafreya. "You seem surprised?"

"I worry. With his back injury, a move like that could have easily done damage to himself as well as his opponent," Ignis said. "But he did tell me that you have healed him, that must be why. My sincere thanks, Your Majesty."

"Lunafreya."

"...Lady Lunafreya."

"Better," she said, her eyes back on the practising pair. Gladio had got up from the grass and was giving Noctis a thumbs up. "I will need to work with him a few more times."

But of course Noctis made it sound like it was all healed up already. Typical. "The Scourge is deep?"

"It's not easy to explain... I would call it not deep, but dense. I think few would have survived the same ordeal. But Noctis... he is full of Light," Lunafreya smiled as she said the words. "And he has been using that Light to contain the Starscourge that daemon gave him, keeping it at bay. As a result, it has been... squeezed into a tight ball, if you will. The damage is localised, but it becomes much harder to exorcise. It is something I have never encountered before in my years of performing my duties as the Oracle."

Noctis was full of Light. Ignis did not understand what that meant, except in an abstract sort of way. Like an immune system, perhaps, with a unique method to fight the darkness. And that was what it was, Ignis thought. The Starscourge was a disease of darkness that rotted the flesh and soul from within, but because of the Oracle's ability to cure it and her connection with the gods, people mythologised it, and instead viewed it as a curse rather than an illness, the main difference between the two being _perception_.

Maybe that was why Noctis did not like to talk about it, when he felt drained, or when he was in pain. Maybe, even from a young age, he knew that the Scourge could subject him to discrimination.

"Noctis sleeps a lot," Ignis murmured, voice quiet. "I don't know if he has ever told you. His school branded him lazy, and at every parent-teacher meeting I got an earful: 'we cannot let him get away with this just because he is the Prince. In fact he should be setting a good example to the other children'. And I... never quite knew what to say. Oh," he suddenly added, by way of explanation, "I used to attend those meetings because the King did not have the time to go."

Lunafreya nodded. "Noctis told me that you had to be his parent at school. I have not heard about the rest before."

"Hmm. Of course he has days when he feels lazy; we all do. But laziness isn't in his character. To tell the school that Noctis was always tired because he was fighting the Starscourge, however..."

"A bad idea."

"Yes. As far as the world was aware, he was cured during his first visit here at eight years old. And my prince," Ignis breathed out, lightly, "discouraged me from raising the subject of his physical health with his father."

"That couldn't have worked."

"Of course not. It was only so that I did not _volunteer_ the information."

"Did you?"

"No, as far as my obligations allowed, but it hardly mattered; His Majesty still got to read the report cards, and there were other Crownsguards and servants who answered to him. In a sense, I could rest assured that Noct's father still knew how Noct was doing no matter what Noct asked of me."

"Even so. You have a tough job, Ignis."

"Says one with the blood of the Oracle, about a simple man serving those with the blood of Lucis?"

"We all have our own, different hardships; it's not a competition."

"I suppose."

"And Noctis is no fool. He must have known that the King would find out, one way or another. He was only testing you, to see if you are loyal to him or to his father."

"Hmm... my apologies, but I disagree. He would not put me in such a position. I think he merely wanted me to know his wishes, and asked me to respect them, even though they would be violated by others."

Because while the others were just staff, Ignis was staff as well as friend.

The reply made Lunafreya start. But she nodded after a moment. "Ah... yes, you are right."

"But I guess I shouldn't use 'violate', it's too violent a word for the situation. Anyway, ah, where were we?" Ignis nudged his glasses with a knuckle. He didn't think he spoke too much, but it was rare for him to discuss these things. "Noct sleeps a lot because he gets tired from the Scourge. His school thought he was lazy, but his grades were usually good and after a few years the school finally turned a blind eye on the napping."

"A happy ending."

"Of sorts, yes."

"Noctis has asked that I heal his father first; the King's physical health has suffered much from overexertion, and he will be departing for Altissia soon. But not to worry, Ignis, I will lift the Scourge from Noctis."

Lunafreya said that with such confidence that Ignis felt tension ebb out of him, and he wasn't even aware that he was quite so worried.

"You have my deepest gratitude, Lady Lunafreya."

"And you have mine for being such a wonderful friend to Noctis," she said. "It's rather fun, isn't it, to talk about him this way? I've never had the chance to do so before."

It was fun, indeed. "Likewise. We should do this more often."

They watched Noctis and Gladio for a while longer, until the two were too out of breath to continue. Then Lunafreya casually turned to Ignis again.

"Ignis? You fight, don't you?"

"Yes. With short knives. I am also learning polearms." Ignis nodded. He meant to get some practice in, but had become distracted watching Noctis and Gladio.

Lunafreya smiled. "Excellent. Spar with me? I use the spear myself."

"I only have the knives here, unfortunately."

It wasn't an excuse. The idea of sparring with the Queen of Tenebrae was not as alarming as it should be — she made the invitation and Ignis did not dream he would be able to injure her anyway. He hadn't been able to do so to his instructor, and he had heard fevered whispers of Lunafreya's battle prowess before.

"You can use one of mine, if you don't mind."

"Oh, then, I suppose I should not refuse. Though I should warn you my skills are still very amateur."

"All the more reason to train."

"You are quite right."

It was their turn to gain an audience. They picked blunt staves instead of pointed spears, and after a brief warm-up, Lunafreya put Ignis through his paces before ramping things up. When Ignis dodged a rapid series of jabs, it wasn't just Gladio who gasped, Ignis himself nearly did the same, amazed by his own reflexes.

After about ten minutes, Lunafreya dropped her ready stance and lowered her staff. Her delicate brows drew into a frown, she glared at Ignis, as if displeased. "Ignis."

Oh no. "Your Majesty?" Ignis asked, catching his breath.

"You don't seem the type to downplay your abilities to make others let their guards down."

"Pardon?"

"Your techniques are advanced, your balance is incredible and I envy your fluid style! How can you call yourself 'amateur'?"

From somewhere behind Ignis came a boom of a laugh. He turned around, not realising that Sir Clarus was here.

"Well, he _is_ an amateur, compared with his teacher," the man, dressed for practise, told Lunafreya before turning his attention to Ignis. " _No good, lad, You have such a long way to go,_ heh?"

That sounded so uncannily like Master Weskham, who taught Ignis the spear for a year and a half while he was in Accordo, that he grimaced. "Yes. I've always been more confident with the knives. My teacher—"

Sir Clarus cackled. "Pah, don't listen to Wesky! You are rather good at both, Ignis."

This was the first time in a long while Ignis was told that he was "good" at battle. He looked from Sir Clarus to Lunafreya, and wasn't quite sure how to react. "Oh... thank you."

It was good to hear. This should help his discussion with Sir Clarus later on.

There was brunch, after battle practice, a hearty meal of meat, eggs, cheese and more items that made growling stomachs happy. Ignis made sure to sneak Umbra a little snack under the table.

It was also under the table that he read a text message from Noctis:

_N: That was so hot_

Ignis did not reply, nor did he let his gaze stray to Noctis, but his confusion must be clear, because another message followed, seconds later.

_N: Your fight with Luna_

Well, Ignis did not know how to reply to that, and he had not had years of practice of typing messages under school desks, so he decided not to answer. Noctis would not take offence. He hoped Noctis would not be teasing him the whole day, though; tonight's date already could not come soon enough. Until then, Ignis could probably handle a bit of flirting in private, but in front of everyone else? He wasn't confident that he would be able to keep a straight, neutral face.

It was a leisurely sort of day. Tomorrow there would be some official duties, with the Oracle resuming her work and the Lucian royals being shown some of what Tenebrae had to offer. But today, the first day after the coronation, was rest day, and it saw Noctis taking his father to a nearby lake to go fishing, the King enjoying his first day off in many years; Lunafreya and Prompto sitting on a blanket at the front lawn having a picnic and chatting animatedly with Gentiana watching; and Gladio and Ignis both on a bench, reading in the sun.

Ignis raised his eyes from the pages when he noticed Nyx, dressed smart casual like everyone else after battle practice, stepping out of the manor onto the front lawn, looking a little puzzled. Ignis closed his book and went to him.

"Lost, Nyx?"

"Hey. Where's everyone?"

"His Majesty and Noct have gone fishing, just five minutes' walk that way," Ignis pointed to the east. "I believe Prince Ravus and Sir Clarus are both working."

"Right."

"I was about to join Lady Lunafreya and Prompto, if you'd like to come with me?"

Of course Ignis wasn't originally going to, but he was, now.

"Um, sure?"

Gentiana gave Ignis an approving look when he took Nyx and Gladio over with him. From the way Nyx and Lunafreya greeted each other, the two must have managed to talk a bit before today. This was encouraging. Ignis wondered how soon he would be able to make an excuse for him and Prompto to leave the pair to themselves.

Good grief. Noctis had managed to get it into Ignis's head, now Ignis was trying to play matchmaker as well. And as if she knew what he was planning, Gentiana gave him her typical close-lipped smile that made everyone stare at him with mild suspicion. Ignis tried to politely ignore her.

"Ravus? He is in Niflheim today. Not everything has been fully handed over yet; the process is slow and he is mistrustful," said Lunafreya when the topic of conversation drifted to her brother. Then she plucked a grape from the bunch in the basket, and raised her eyebrows, smiling as she lowered her voice comically. "Also? I believe he has a girlfriend there."

Ravus. A girlfriend. It should not be a surprise at all — a man like Ravus must be very desirable, if he wished for a companion he would only have to choose. And yet to Ignis, it was a surprise — Ravus did not seem the type to accept anyone easily, so whoever this woman was, she must be special.

"Royal gossip," Nyx remarked, helping himself to a bit of bread, "from the most reliable source."

"I'm quite certain. But I'm yet to find out who she is."

They all waited. When it became apparent that Lunafreya had no more detail to share, Ignis decided to take advantage of the subject.

"How about you, Lady Lunafreya?"

"What about me?"

"Are you seeing anyone?"

That made Prompto yelp. "You can't ask the Oracle that! And s-so casually!"

Lunafreya shrugged, nonchalant. "It's fine, we are all friends here. And no, not at the moment. How about you, Ignis?"

That made Ignis wonder how much Lunafreya knew. Noctis could have told her. "Not right this moment, but things may change."

Ignis had not realised what this looked like until Prompto giggled. "If I didn't know better, I would've thought we're witnessing some intense flirting right here."

"We're not?" asked Nyx. The poor man. He seemed smart, but the situations were often leaving him baffled.

"Definitely not." Instead of asking for more details, Prompto left it at that, thankfully. He knew he should not be trying to reveal what had barely started between his best friend Noctis, and Ignis, "Your turn, Nyx. Relationship status?"

With all eyes on him, Nyx pulled back a bit, as if embarrassed. "Well."

"Well?" As Prompto pressed for an answer, Ignis felt a sudden panic — what if Nyx was seeing someone already? But surely Noctis would have found out and warned Lunafreya beforehand...

"Sad and alone, unfortunately."

Oh thank god.

"Know that feel, man." Prompto raised his hand for a sympathetic high five. "Know that feel."

They did not try to ask Gentiana the same question, and Ignis stopped Gladio before the man launched into his declaration about how much he liked someone at the Citadel and that he would ask her out soon, because Ignis had heard it too many times already.

The afternoon passed this way. It was the most relaxing afternoon Ignis had had in a long while, until Gladio got a phone call just when the daylight was starting to wane.

Sitting cross-legged, leaning back with his weight on one hand, he checked his screen and took the call. "Hey, Noct?" Then there was a pause, and Gladio sat up better. "Your Majesty."

Everyone quieted down. Soon Gladio was getting up. "Yes of course. I'll be right there." With that, he put the phone away and looked to Lunafreya, grinning wide. "Your Ladyship, where can I find a big bucket around here?"

When their group went to the lake, armed with the requested bucket, Noctis was on the ground, wrestling with a fish the size of, oh, Gladio's 12-years-old sister Iris, and his father was too busy cackling and taking a video to help.

The bucket wasn't going to be large enough, so Noctis plucked a knife from his arsenal and killed the fish, muttering something about having _told_ his father how the bucket idea was stupid and King Regis shrugging innocently and saying he had no idea what size of fish it was going to be until it came out of the water.

"I knew when it was on the line. Listen to the expert!"

"You are certainly the expert around here," King Regis conceded, chuckling fondly.

"Prince of Lucis and king of fishing." After rinsing the blade in the water, Noctis wiped it on his trousers before letting it vanish. "You can tell me I'm up my own ar— butt if you ever catch something bigger, Gladio," he said without looking up, as if he knew his friend was pulling faces at the statement. Then he proceeded to haul the giant catch, first wrapping it in a towel to make it less slippery, then lifting it bridal style.

"Che. You alright with that with your skinny arms?"

Noctis glared. "Well someone's not getting to eat any of this fish."

Ignis also allowed himself to shoot a look at Gladio for the unfunny and possibly hurtful comment. He appreciated that Gladio might not be aware that Noctis seemed to be having body image issues, but ignorance didn't always absolve all guilt.

Not that Noctis let it bother him, anyway, his attention focused on not dropping the fish. Then he was telling Prompto, Lunafreya and Gentiana about just how long it took him to land the monster catch, and asking if anyone knew if it was tasty, and if the kitchens would be happy to cook it and—

"Impressive," said Ignis, his hand landing on a shoulder that managed to stay relatively dry even after the mortal struggle between man and fish, and firmly guided Noctis towards the manor, with King Regis trailing behind and chuckling.

The kitchen had already started preparing dinner, it turned out, but the idea of a fish freshly caught by the Prince tickled the cooks so much that they were happy to adapt their plans. This was followed by an avid discussion between the cooks and those who had crashed into the kitchen carrying a giant fish: a prince, a queen, a king, a chamberlain, a bodyguard, a colonel, a commoner, a spirit messenger. It was like a scene out of a children's picture book.

Since this particular fish was best battered and fried, the cooks suggested dinner could be fish and chips if Lady Lunafreya and her esteemed guests did not think it was too unrefined. Noctis had a better idea: why settle for fish and chips if they could go for fish fingers and fries, for the full amusement value?

And so a consensus was reached, and everyone all got to relish Ravus's confused expression when he returned from Gralea and found the dinner waiting for him to resemble a kid's meal.

"First full day as Queen and already abusing your powers, Lunafreya?"

Lunafreya just smiled at her brother, all serene. The full story was communicated to Ravus during the meal, illustrated with videos from King Regis and photos from Prompto, and the former High Commander of Niflheim, a man to be feared and whose face was "ill-suited to showing joy", curled a loose fist and laughed into it.

The whole scene gave Ignis pause, like he had already done many times, just three days into the Tenebraean visit. Having got out of his seat to talk over the videos and pictures, table manners were now out the window, so Noctis took the chance to slide himself over towards Ignis.

"'Sup?"

"Just having a moment," said Ignis, his gaze on Ravus. "One wonders if he is aware of what he has achieved. He changed the ordinance."

"I assume Luna told him."

"The fact that we are all here now, alive, laughing..."

"As opposed to worrying about the Nifs and then Dad getting killed three years from now and everything going full apocalyptic."

"Yes. How can one convey that depth of gratitude?"

"Hmm, I've been wondering about that too. Not sure if there's a way. Maybe sexual favours?"

That was the joke Ignis was going to make, too. Oh well. He tipped his head up a bit more, trying to get closer. Noctis got the message and put a hand on the back of Ignis's chair and rested fingertips on Ignis's shoulder, leaning down close enough for Ignis to whisper without getting up himself.

"That might not work; I hear that he has a girlfriend."

Noctis's eyes widened. "Has he?"

"So Her Majesty believes. She told us during the picnic."

"You've gotta tell me more about that later."

"I can tell you tonight."

"Yeah. Tonight." Noctis's eyes darted up, looking around them. "I'll see you at, say, nine? Outside your room?"

Ignis could not wait. "I look forward to it. What are we..."

He meant to ask if Noctis had anything planned, so that he could dress accordingly, but Noctis was pulling away to return to his seat.

There were drinks, after dinner, and people gathered in little groups, chatting over coffee. With just half an hour to go until the date, Ignis finally managed to peel himself away from other people so that he could get ready.

With so little time, he amazed himself by still managing go through some basic grooming before nine o'clock. It helped that when he came out of the shower he found a message from Noctis on his phone telling him to dress casual, which took away _some_ of the agony regarding clothing choice — he had jokingly asked Umbra and Gentiana for help on this last night, but as expected, they could not and did not wish to provide suggestions, being the spirits they were.

Anyway, Ignis opted for a shirt, but no tie, and it was warm enough that he didn't need a jacket. Black trousers, straight cut, with a line of silver piping along the pockets. The same shoes as the day before, the gorgeous wholecuts that the Crownsguard gifted him. And a different pair of glasses, new ones, actually, still half frames but even lighter.

The whole effect, he noted as he regard himself in the mirror, was that he was "smart casual" rather than "casual", but that was acceptable; Noctis knew him well enough to have predicted this, surely. And for a first date with Noctis, Ignis refused to dress down further.

Noctis knocked on his door at nine o'clock. "Come — we gotta be quick. Talk later," he said, and gestured for Ignis to follow him.

They hurried their way out of the manor, through a flower field until they reached a dirt road, hopping into what Ignis was certain was a rally car.

"Good good," said the driver, who turned out to be Maria. "We should make it in time."

During the pulse-racing drive to the train station — nothing wrong with Maria's driving, Ignis was simply not used to such speeds — Noctis explained that the plan was to go to Tenebrae City, just ten minutes away by rail. But they needed to be quick if they didn't want to miss the train.

They were dropped off at the station. Maria rolled down her window.

"I shall be off, then. Please don't forget that the last train back is—"

"Midnight. We know how to walk back from here. And I have your phone number, don't worry. Thanks Maria, see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Your Highness, Ignis. Don't do anything I would not do."

With that, she drove off, leaving Ignis more than a little incredulous.

Finally, tickets in hand and settling down for their short journey to Tenebrae City, Ignis got a moment to appreciate his date. Noctis said "casual", but he too was in a button-up shirt, plain black, sleeves rolled up to just below the elbows. The trousers were straight cut, not slim like Ignis's; most of Noctis's trousers were cut this way because he didn't like anything that was too fitting. Noctis had never been a jewellery person, but had recently developed a thing for gloves, and was wearing a pair made of thin leather that only covered most of the palm and some of the fingers and had a decorative buckle at the wrist. Perplexing when one considered the actual function of gloves, but fashion was fashion and they did look good on him.

Realising that Ignis was studying him, Noctis shifted a bit, as if self conscious, then he decided to leave his seat opposite Ignis and sit right beside him instead.

"You're looking really good," Noctis said. "New glasses?"

"Indeed. So that I can look even better."

It didn't even take half a second for Noctis to snort. "Iggy."

Noctis was the only person Ignis could think of who appreciated his appalling puns and would actually laugh, instead of roll their eyes and giggle secretly as if they couldn't be seen enjoying a joke that was so beneath them.

"You're looking rather handsome yourself."

The compliment awarded Ignis with a slightly tense smile. Ignis wondered how he was looking, himself. Just as jittery, perhaps.

The train pulled out of the station.

"It's not a complaint, but I had not expected to be leaving the hill Fenestala Manor stands on."

"I checked, and there are places in the city that still open late at night. I just thought it'd be nice to get away from the others," said Noctis, with a kind of shy smile. "And it's romantic to go places by train, right?"

Oh, the conversation from two days ago. "Yes, quite so." Touched by the gesture, Ignis returned the smile. "You roped the retainer into helping?"

Maria hadn't been told that Noctis and Ignis were on a date, it turned out; Noctis just said he wanted to go to the city with Ignis at night. For his father, however, Noctis told the truth when they were fishing.

"Sorry, I should've asked you first."

"No need. Situations are such that of course your father should know. Better for him to know now than for him to be told if someone catches sight of us." It being the best course of action didn't necessarily make Ignis less uneasy, however. "So... this means His Majesty has given permission?"

Noctis shrugged, the top of his arm brushing against Ignis. "Depends on how you look at it I guess? I just told him we were going on a date, I wasn't asking for permission. And he didn't tell me no."

That was good enough. Ignis was quite certain that he would be explicitly informed if the King disapproved.

Their train pulled into Tenebrae City Station in no time. Riding on the high of the coronation yesterday, the city was alive with light and music despite the hour. Apparently there would be a light show at the palace soon, so the majority of people were heading there. Not so keen on watching a building being lit up in various ways, Noctis had his own ideas for the date.

"Most things are within walking distance or there's the metro. There's a jazz club which has raving reviews," he told Ignis, the two of them at the station's forecourt which had lovely metal sculptures dotted around the flower beds. "There's a trail that takes you to most of the sights, it's supposed to be nice. Then there's the Totomostro, if you fancy that?"

Ignis frowned. "Perhaps not."

Noctis's wry smile told Ignis that he thought that would be the response. "But," he said, and there was hopeful promise in his voice, "let's head that way anyway? There's a place right next to it that I think you might like."

"Oh?" They spotted a sign for the Totomostro and followed it.

"Or you might hate it and think it's _absolutely abominable_ ," Noctis tried to imitate Ignis's voice, earning him an arched eyebrow, "but it'll be funny either way."

Not counting yesterday which Ignis spent entirely at the palace, this was his first visit to Tenebrae City. The capital city of Tenebrae had an air that was different from Insomnia. Very modern, certainly, and the latest technology could be seen everywhere one turned. But the historical, the traditional, what would have been capitalised upon as "vintage" or "shabby chic" back in Insomnia were also fiercely respected here, evident in the traditional architecture, shops and street furniture that existed side-by-side with the concrete, glass and steel.

If there was evidence of its four centuries of being under Imperial rule, it had been eradicated in the last two years, or at least Ignis could not see it easily. But honestly, he only paid attention to his surroundings right up until the moment Noctis slipped his glove off and took Ignis's hand.

God. Ignis had always thought — well, not always, but ever since this attraction began to develop — that he would be the one doing the asking. And the one arranging their first date, if he was lucky enough that Noctis said yes. And the one to take Noctis's hand. Not because Noctis was timid and needed to be wooed, but he was cautious by nature and Ignis was the elder of the two of them, so it seemed logical for Ignis to be the one to make the move.

And yet, here he was, asked out by Noctis, on a date arranged entirely by Noctis, and Noctis had just taken his hand. It was unexpected or, to be more accurate, beyond expectation, and so exciting, not to mention ego-boosting, to be courted by someone as exceptional as Noctis.

The streets began to narrow as they neared the Totomostro arena before they suddenly opened up into a plaza, at the top of which sat the arena. Perhaps a battle session was in play right now and people were inside, because the plaza was not busy at all, allowing Ignis to spot their destination with ease. As he gaped, he could hear the grin in Noctis's voice.

"Well? What do you think?"

"Frankly I am in such a state of shock I don't know what to think."

At one corner of the plaza was a sizeable cafe with seating spilling out onto the pavement, and it was not just any cafe, but a "Café Ebony".

They went over, and out of habit picked a table inside. Over the years they had become experts in assessing layouts and finding seats that were less visible by the public but still afforded a decent view.

Ignis picked up the menu. Speciality coffees, desserts, and even savoury dishes in taster sizes, all made with Ebony-branded products. "I didn't even know such a place existed."

"It's a pop-up, s'far as I know. They're launching the brand in Tenebrae now that we can trade." Noctis also perused the menu. "Dark roast dualhorn? Really?"

How interesting. If only they hadn't eaten already. "In this instance I would imagine it's roast dualhorn with a coffee-spiced rub or marinade; I have heard that ground coffee can be used as a spice. It is like how in some regions of the world vanilla is used to flavour meat."

"Wow." Noctis lifted his eyes from the menu. "That sounds kind of wrong, but I also kind of want to try it."

"Likewise."

"Should have eaten less of the fish."

"It was delicious though. Well caught."

"Heh. You guys and your tiny bucket."

"We couldn't find anything larger," Ignis said with an amused shake of his head. "Anyway, if we are both interested in trying the dualhorn, might I make a suggestion?"

This wasn't the first time Ignis had shared food with Noctis, but they weren't on a date back then, their knees weren't touching each other under the table, and Ignis's heart wasn't feeling fluttery.

They had desserts and drinks to follow, and everything tasted divine, though Ignis could not really say if the food was truly that good, or if it was because of his loyalty to Ebony Coffee, or if it was because he was on a date with Noctis.

It was only a day after the coronation, Noctis's face was still far too recognisable and they didn't want to be interrupted ceaselessly on their first date. Therefore, afterwards, they opted to follow the recommended walking trail, but only the section that took them to the least popular areas for the time of day, where they could just about see at the frozen fringes of Zôldara Henge to the southwest. It was still a fascinating sight — Lucian winters could be rather cold, but Ignis had never seen an actual landscape of snow and ice before.

"I suppose even if it was light the Glacian would be too far away for us to see," Ignis mused.

"Yeah, probably," said Noctis, eyes searching in the moonlight. "I think I feel her though. Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"Just kind of... _aware_ of her? Like how I'm aware of the Crystal when I'm in the Citadel even though it's inside that bomb-proof vault."

"Hmm. So she is still here? I thought..."

"Of course she's still around; the Nifs only got to a physical shell." Noctis's smile was sly, for some reason, making Ignis suspicious.

"Noct?"

Noctis shrugged. "Nothing. At least nothing that I know for sure I can tell you anyway. I should probably check first."

"You are so full of secrets lately."

"Hmm? Oh, um."

Watching Noctis's face morph into an expression of guilt, Ignis quickly tried to cushion his words. "I'm only teasing."

"Sorry."

"Noct." Ignis squeezed Noctis's hand lightly.

"No I mean, I know it makes your job difficult."

"I'm not working right now. And even if I was, I understand that there are matters you don't wish to or can't disclose as the Chosen One." There were so many omissions in what Ignis had heard about the alternate future, just as an example. And the longer those thoughts sat in Ignis's head, the more he wanted to ask questions, and yet he couldn't. "And you also want some privacy in your life, even from your chamberlain."

The way Noctis looked at Ignis was half hopeful, half worried. "Right."

Maybe it would be better to address matters properly. "If you want to go away for a few hours, you don't need to lie to me about going to the arcade. I trust you."

"Mmm. Okay."

"Unless you've joined a gang or you're dealing drugs, then we need to talk about it right now."

Finally the corners of Noctis's mouth turned upwards again. "Yeah well, can't live on my meagre allowance you know."

They both clearly felt better, having actually talked about it. Ignis let his gaze sweep away from Noctis, to the sky above them. Time to change topic. "I must admit, seeing the night's sky without the faint glow of the Wall is liberating, but also disconcerting. And I'm so used to using the column of light from the Citadel to navigate in Insomnia that it feels odd to be without it."

"You told me that when you were in Accordo too." Noctis pointed out, glancing at Ignis. "I thought you'd be used to it by now."

"No... And I'm not sure if it's something I could truly get used to. It's not just about the protection from the Crystal — it's also because it is home."

"Yeah. I get you. It just feels like something's not right, which is kind of, you know, when you think about it..."

"It's not the absence of the Wall, but the fact that we need the Wall at all that is not right?"

Noctis made a sound of agreement. "That." He paused, took a deep breath. "Well, I'm still the Chosen One, apparently, that's not changed. Maybe I'll find a way to make the daemons go away so we won't need the Wall anymore."

"By which you mean the way you would have done it in the other future would not be feasible now?"

Oddly, Noctis looked pained. "That would've taken ten years though."

That was true. And although the Wall was originally put up by one of Noctis's predecessors to keep Niflheim Empire out, not to keep daemons away, King Regis could not simply let it drop down now. It would not be seen as acceptable.

"Iggy? Don't think too hard about it. I'm sure the Crystal will have instructions for me eventually," said Noctis, shrugging a little. "Besides, from what Luna told me, things would've got a lot worse between now and the end of those ten years. The days would've got shorter and shorter until there was just no light left. But that's not gonna happen anymore. There's time to figure things out."

"I see," Ignis murmured as he contemplated the meaning behind all of this, trying to hear the words Noctis would not say, but there was too little to go on. "I'm here for you, you know that."

"I know. You've got my back."

"Always."

Noctis fell silent for a brief moment.

"That's why you were talking to Clarus about going with me whenever the new defense force needs my help?"

So Noctis had already heard. "By the time they call for royal assistance, the Crownsguard would already be involved anyway. I know I'm not currently considered frontline in that regard but..."

Noctis was going to tell him not to bother, Ignis knew it. He was the advisor, the chamberlain. But it just did not make sense in Ignis's head, for him to sit home and wait whilst Noctis went out to fight daemons. He was supposed to protect Noctis, to have his back.

Noctis sighed. "No, I get you. We should do this together," he said, smiling wryly now. "That means we should train together sometime."

That was not what Ignis was expecting to hear. He returned the smile. "Of course. I'll try to keep up."

"Yeah yeah. I've seen you fight Luna today. Don't even pretend you're not good." Noctis shot Ignis a half-hearted glare. "So, by the way..."

Ignis waited, but no more words came. "By the way?"

There was a slight frown, for a few seconds, then Noctis shook his head. "Never mind," he said. "It's just more work, we can talk about it later."

Hmm, all right, that was a sound decision. Ignis looked for other topics, about borrowing Fenestala Manor's kitchen to bake pies for Noctis, about the possibility of Gentiana showing up unannounced again, about the picnic Ignis had in the afternoon, the way Lunafreya and Nyx interacted, Nyx clearly trying to find that place between formal and friendly. It was difficult to gauge if they were interested in one another.

Noctis had his own theory, that Lunafreya definitely had a crush on Nyx, although Ignis's theory on Noctis's theory was that there was not a small amount of wishful thinking involved.

"Specs, trust me. I know Luna."

Suddenly Ignis wondered how the future Noctis would have felt about the political marriage with Lunafreya, and how the current Noctis beside him thought about it, with the benefit of... what would it even be in this case, hindsight or foresight?

Whatever it was, this was not a question Ignis should ask on a first date, probably. Something lighter would be much preferred.

"I still can't believe you tried to tell me you took a photo of Nyx because you liked his haircut."

Noctis snorted once. "I just made up whatever because I panicked. Afterwards Luna told me it was okay to tell you about it." He nudged Ignis. "Were you... jealous?"

"Decidedly so. Yes I was." No point in pretending otherwise, really. Ignis studied Noctis's face. "You look pleased."

Pointing that out seemed to have make Noctis feel defensive. "Well— yeah. But it wasn't deliberate, alright? I—"

"You're not the kind of person to test someone that way, I know that."

Hand in hand, strolling in a foreign city in the night, the two of them talked, teasing each other. It was more exciting, yet felt more natural, than Ignis would have imagined. And two years ago he would not even have imagined this happening at all — familiarity was not supposed to lead to romance. But after the fall of the Empire, Ignis took the chance to leave Lucis to study, and during that time he found himself missing Noctis. He even told Noctis so, on the phone, and got laughed at, Noctis saying that there must be something wrong with Ignis for him to miss work.

Well, Noctis said that, then added in a small voice that he kind of missed Ignis, too. Then it was Ignis's turn to make fun, pointing out that Noctis must only be missing having someone help him with his work.

But, over the course of some 18 months, what Ignis initially thought was just him missing his good friend became a yearning to see Noctis again. Then when Ignis returned, Noctis cleared his day and personally drove — illegally as he only had a learner's licence — all the way to Galdin Quay to pick Ignis up from the boat, and Ignis set eyes on his prince, his friend, and instantly felt a physical attraction too... well, he still tried to put it off as a mere infatuation, but that was a foolish notion, really.

Not wanting to push their luck, and because the coming day was another one full of royal engagements, they didn't take the last train, but the one before that, back to the station closest to Fenestala Manor. Noctis managed to snatch a catnap during the ten minute ride, to Ignis's amusement.

The walk back was not that long, and the manor up on the hill was lit by moonlight like a beacon, so finding their way back was no trouble at all, although when they reached a tree-covered path Ignis decided to use the torch function on his phone for a bit more light.

"This reminds me of when we used to sneak in and out of the Citadel."

The memories surfaced, making Ignis smile. "Not quite. There is no sneaking involved, this time."

"It... depends." Noctis scratched his nose with a finger, looking like he had just done something slightly bad. "I just realised I forgot to ask Maria for the door key."

Ignis was not a man who was easily fazed, luckily. "Oh, Noct."

"I think I left my windows open, though. We can probably just climb back inside."

"We can't just break into the manor."

"The window's open, there won't be any _breaking_ in."

Perhaps Ignis really should be more concerned about this, but he was holding Noctis's hand and he couldn't give a damn about much else right now. He should still put up some sort of protest though, if only because he ought to at least sound sensible. "That's not—"

He stopped in his tracks.

"Specs?"

"Shh." Ignis tugged Noctis's hand so that he would stop, too. "Can't you hear that?"

They listened for it, and Ignis heard the sound again. Some sort of struggle? Or perhaps just an animal? It sounded like something, or someone, was in pain.

"Uh, no. Hear what?"

"I'm not certain, but I think we should investigate. This way."

They drew near the origin of the sounds, somewhere just twenty metres or so off the footpath.

Ignis's phone torch shone on two people being rather preoccupied with each other against a tree.

Noctis made a noise, one that could only be described as a "I've just walked in on Ravus Nox Fleuret and Aranea Highwind making out in the woods at night" sort of noise. In fact, they were not just making out—

—Ignis, stop staring!

"And this is why I said we should go to my room," muttered Ravus, after several seconds of utter mortification.

A pause. Then Aranea looked away from Ignis and Noctis, to the man whose hand was currently up her skirt. "Why bother? It's not like there's anyone else here." Her voice had a sultry timbre to it, as if she was very much enjoying herself.

Immediately Ignis shoved his phone into his trouser pocket, the light still on. "Nobody's around," he said, squeezing Noctis's hand.

"Huh? Oh, what was that noise?" asked Noctis with all the feigned innocence.

"Nothing. Just some animals."

"Ah, right. Wild animals." Ignis could hear the smirk in Noctis's voice now. "Really wild ones."

If it had not been the Prince of Tenebrae and the Niflheim coup leader who were in front of them, Ignis would have considered joining in on the joke. As things were, he would rather just get away right now. "Yes, well, let's leave them alone and get a move on."

Thankfully, Noctis allowed himself to be tugged away, although not before he said, cheerfully, "G'night Ravus!"

The two of them ran, until they were at the sylleblossom field, before slowing down. Ignis finally got his phone out and switched the torch off before the hot light burnt a hole in his thigh.

"Oh my god. Oh my god Iggy, did you see—"

"Yes I saw. I was there."

"His hand was up her skirt!"

"I saw."

"Her knickers were—"

"They were around her ankles. I saw. They were a very eye-catching colour." Ignis swallowed a laugh. He shouldn't be so immature.

"And you lit them up really well."

"Noct..."

Ignis wasn't even sure if he should feel amused or exasperated, but Noctis had started to giggle, then he crouched down to sit on his haunches, as if his knees had lost their strength.

"Haha... Hahahaha... The look on Ravus's face!"

All right, he was going to settle on "amused". Ignis went down on one knee, kneeling gently on the grass. "You were awful, calling out his name just as we left."

"No regrets, man."

Unable to help himself, Ignis began to laugh too, more due to the sheer hilarity of the situation than the fact that Ravus was involved. "That was definitely not anything I could have expected on our date."

"Yeah?" Noctis grinned up at him. "What were you expecting?"

"Well, certainly not an Ebony cafe, to start."

That made Noctis snort. "That's the problem — I think I've already peaked. How am I going to top that on our next date?"

Of course Ignis's mind chose to focus on the last two words. "Next date?"

There was still a smile in Noctis's eyes. "I'm definitely hoping for a second date here," he whispered.

Gosh. Noctis was so beautiful. Ignis felt his heart go frantic, just looking at him. "Perhaps I can arrange the next one?"

"Sounds good."

"Meanwhile," Ignis put his weight on the knee that was on the ground, leaning forward, "this date isn't quite over yet."

As first kisses went, perhaps this was not the most elegant, him on one knee and Noctis crouching, but it was the most wonderful, because Noctis shuffled closer and knelt down so that he could lean up into the kiss, and that was enough to take Ignis's breath away.

He pulled back, after a few moments, and just looked at Noctis, feeling stunned. Did that really just happen?

"Ignis?"

"Just thinking that I'm punching far above my weight here."

Noctis's face darkened with a blush. "Shut up."

Ignis brought a hand up, allowing his fingertips to rest on Noctis's cheek. "You are one of the finest people I know, and certainly the most pulchritudinously handsome."

Noctis might not believe it yet, but Ignis had to say it.

"That just means handsomely handsome."

"Yes, because the emphasis is necessary."

"W-we said we'll have a second date; so you can stop flattering me already."

"Just speaking the truth, Noct."

As if he was too embarrassed to know what to do with himself, Noctis looked left and right, then decided to stare at the ground. After asking Ignis out and taking the reins to arrange the date, he seem suddenly stumped, as though he couldn't believe that Ignis actually found him attractive.

It was something they could work on. But for now, Ignis decided, perhaps they should move. "Let's not spend the night here, lovely though these flowers are." He got up, and tugged Noctis up as well.

Noctis's windows were indeed open. Blade-warp would require pinpoint accuracy that Noctis did not yet have, however, so they tried to evaluate if it would be possible to scale the wall instead. The first floor should not be a problem, and for the second floor, Ignis would have to go first, with his longer reach, to get to the balcony. From there he would be able to pull Noctis up. This was good. Ignis would loathe to have to call for help at this hour of the day.

"Or," Noctis grinned, "we could go back to the woods and ask Ravus for the key to the front door."

Ignis pretended to rub his temples. "Maria did tell us not to do anything she would not."

"She'd totally climb up."

Climbing it was. "You have a point." Ignis bent down to tuck the hem of his trousers inside his socks.

They made it back without a hitch, and without even a scratch to Ignis's shoes.

"That was worryingly easy; I worry about the security of this manor," said Ignis.

"We can tell Ravus tomorrow."

Ignis chuckled.

They closed the windows and drew the curtains back together. A small lamp Noctis had turned on as soon as they got in illuminated the room, casting a warm glow on his face.

"So..."

Yes, this was a little awkward. "I haven't expected to end up in your room tonight." Ignis nudged his glasses. "So I think we should... well, I should say my goodnight."

"Okay."

They kissed again, this time Noctis holding Ignis's face and drawing him down, their lips brushing in the softest of caresses, but still enough to steal Ignis's breath away.

"G'night, Ignis."

"Goodnight. Another date, ah, as soon as schedule allows?"

"Let's do that."

Back in his room next door, Ignis sat down on his bed, scarcely believing that he had really just been on a date with his friend, his prince, and it was perfect.

He thought about Noctis's lips, and Noctis's touch. It reminded him a little of the first night here in Tenebrae, when Noctis, after learning what the future originally had in store for them, touched his face, and pressed a kiss near his left eye.

What did that mean, Ignis wondered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter that got surprisingly long! Makes up for my infrequent updates, right?


	10. Chapter 10

"Iggy and I nearly watched porn together the other day."

It was a calm and comfortable sort of morning, albeit unusual. Being a guest at the Nox Fluerets' home was far from normal, to start, and so was breaking fast at the same table as the rulers and princes of Lucis and Tenebrae. But Ignis had been told to "sit anywhere", and after he sat down, Noctis took the seat next to him, then King Regis and Lunafreya decided to join the table too, so this particular situation was entirely out of Ignis's control. But, at least, he got to wake up at a reasonable hour today, and he didn't feel wrecked from all the tasks surrounding the coronation like he did yesterday morning. Plus he had had a most excellent date with Noctis last night, all of which were great reasons for Ignis to feel quite relaxed indeed.

But then Noctis had to bring _that_ up with Prompto, and of course he caught everyone's attention.

Ignis lowered his fork. "The keyword being _nearly_. And it wasn't pornography—"

"Right, chill, watch your blood pressure!" Noctis laughed, leaning towards Ignis for a friendly shoulder bump. "We were watching a film at home, I picked the wrong one — got the original instead of the new remake — and this sex scene came up."

Prompto cracked up laughing. "Seriously? Are you sure it was an accident?"

"Accident or not, I turned it off. Noct isn't old enough to watch that kind of thing," said Ignis quickly, knowing he was probably overreacting but never mind, overreaction was good for humour. "Hmm. I should set up the child lock with your internet service provider, just in case."

That drew a laugh from nearly everyone, even Ravus's mouth pulled into a lopsided smile.

"Ignis!"

"The laws of your country, Your Highness. I do wish to stay employed."

Noctis threw his hands up in the air in mock frustration. "Yeah yeah, look at me, a _child_ — better watch out for _scary adults_ , it'd be terrible if one of them took advantage of me at my fragile, innocent state!"

"You are above the age of consent," Ignis pointed out, thankful that, bless him, King Regis was chuckling into his tea instead of finding all this terribly rude to talk about at the breakfast table, especially since he knew his son and Ignis had gone out on a date.

"Old enough to do the thing but not old enough to watch it."

"Again, the laws of your land."

"Dad, fix it, it makes no sense."

King Regis pretended to think about this for a moment. "You are right, son. To get the two to match up, I should propose to raise the age of consent to 18 years old."

It was a spectacularly unimpressed glare that Noctis shot at his father, so much so that Ignis had to bite on his own lower lip to stop himself from laughing too hard. Then he heard a very, very soft whisper from Prompto on his right.

"You laugh. It'd affect you too."

It appeared that Prompto had already been updated on the current state of things. "Prompto."

"Just sayin'."

" _Prompto_."

Prompto just hummed happily into his forkful of mushrooms.

If Noctis heard the conversation, he didn't react to it, or possibly he decided to focus on what actually mattered. There was a reason why he brought up the topic. "What's the legal age here, Ravus?"

"The same as Lucis," answered Ravus simply.

Oh dear. Ignis really, really wished he could leave the table just so that he could properly laugh his lungs out. But over a decade of training came in useful at this point, helping him to stay in his seat and look calm as he witnessed the exchange.

"So if you're not old enough to watch it at the cinema, then what if you saw someone doing it for real?"

"That would be voyeurism, a crime punishable by imprisonment."

"But what if it was an accident? Say, in an open area? Then it's public indecency, right?"

As Noctis's grin grew wider, Ravus's eyes narrowed further.

"If it is on public land. On private land it is another matter."

There was no way this conversation would end well, and it had to be in front of such company as well, but then to Ignis's complete surprise, Lunafreya frowned, as if in thought.

"And what if such a thing was to occur at a land boundary? If Noctis was on public land, but sees it happening on private land?"

Prompto giggled. "Then it depends if Noct's such a perv he'd stay and watch, or if he'd run away crying about his stolen innocence?"

"Too late, guys," said Noct with a shrug. "Not innocent already. If Dad raised the age of consent I'd be an instant criminal."

Ravus lowered his cutlery. "Says he, who moments ago bemoaned adults who might take advantage of his innocent state."

Touché, Ignis thought, watching as Noctis rest his chin in his palm and gave Ravus a toothy, filthy-looking grin, one that said, "yeah, but I know what you did last night."

Whether or not that worked was impossible to tell since Ravus seemed to be a man of few words anyway, but there were no more clever remarks from his side.

Sitting at one end of the table, the king waved at Ignis to draw his attention. "Is this how the youth talk nowadays?"

Ignis nudged his glasses. "I wouldn't know, Your Majesty."

Jokes aside, there was something the king wanted to talk to Ignis about, after breakfast and before the departure for the state visit.

It did not take a genius to guess what this was going to be about. Ignis had faint hopes that he wasn't in for a grilling, though; the king was a reasonable man.

"Your Majesty."

"Ignis, about my son," said King Regis, looking quite serious. "I meant to talk about this with you sooner. You are aware of his weight loss?"

Ignis blinked several times in surprise. "Yes, sire."

"And I presume he has not explained."

"No. I have been keeping a close eye, his diet seems acceptable enough and he shows no sign of ill health, so I've been assuming his body is simply adjusting to the additional physical activities."

"You are not wrong, but that is not the whole picture — the main cause is the use of his powers during training. Warping, in particular, consumes much energy, and he is not yet skilled enough to finely adjust his power output. I have warned him of this, but it appears he has not taken heed."

That would explain a lot. "My apologies, Your Majesty, I should have paid closer attention."

"The fault is entirely mine. All the information surrounding our powers is only given on a need-to-know basis. I neglected to inform you, so you could not have known." King Regis shook his head. "I am terrible as a father."

Ignis had no idea how to respond to that. Oh, what to say. "As you've said, you've already cautioned His Highness; Noctis needs to make responsibility of his own health." He nudged his glasses. "That being said, I shall remind him, as his advisor."

A sigh, and a pat on Ignis's arm, with the hand that wasn't holding the cane. "My thanks."

Ignis bowed a little. "Your Majesty."

"But, ah, you should also be aware that excessively using magic can drain the appetite, just to complicate matters."

That would indeed make things a bit more difficult. "I will try to find a way around it."

"Good." King Regis nodded, with a finality that suggested that the conversation was finished and he was satisfied with Ignis's answer.

Was that all? "Sire, I thought..."

"You thought?"

What a foolish thing to do. If the king didn't bring the topic up, why oh why did Ignis think to mention it? Was it too late to retract his words? "It is nothing. Please, don't mind me."

It was definitely too late. One corner of King Regis's mouth curled upwards, in a smirk that could also be seen on his son sometimes, even with dimples at nearly the same places.

"Noctis told me about you two, yes. Do you really want a piece of my mind, Ignis?"

Trick question. "I..."

That smirk deepened. "Noctis is still young. As are you, even if you try to pretend otherwise. Do the things young people do: Date. Fall in love. Make mistakes. Have silly arguments. Beg for forgiveness." King Regis shrugged lightly. "Even shout at each other, and weep until you feel dry as a husk, if you are so inclined. I want all that for my son, and I want that for you, too."

At a loss for words, Ignis simply nodded.

"If it works out between you two, marvellous. If it does not, then that is also just life. Go and live your life, Ignis, especially as Aldercapt is no longer breathing down our necks." King Regis pat Ignis on the arm again.

Ignis bowed. "A piece of my mind too, if I may?"

"Oh?"

"The things you have said, those are not just the privilege of the young."

"Ha!" The king seemed genuinely amused. "I shall tell you something: just yesterday Noctis said to me that I should, oh, look for love again."

It was barely past breakfast time and Ignis was already finding the day quite challenging indeed. At least this time it was probably acceptable for him to just look surprised and curious in lieu of a verbal response.

"I do wonder what has got into that boy's head," King Regis mused.

Noctis wanted his father to find happiness again, Ignis thought. It was knowledge of the-future-that-could-have-been affecting Noctis's views and decisions. It would appear that he had not told his father about that future, at least not yet. Perhaps he never meant to reveal it to anyone in great detail, but that night Ignis was simply at the right place at the right time.

"A question only His Highness can answer, sire."

It was a response that King Regis accepted, thankfully. Ignis would not know what to say otherwise.

Some time before the Lucian party were scheduled to depart for the cultural part of the state visit, and Ignis stood outside the front door of the manor, watching Sir Clarus and Gladio do a cursory security sweep on the vehicles that had parked up on the gravelled driveway, ready to take them to the city. This would be the last part of their major tasks here, and Ignis was rather looking forward to getting it over and done with.

"Ig-Ignis?"

He heard his name, and turned to see Noctis's friend come up to him. "Prompto."

Prompto ducked a little, and scratched the back of his neck. "You guys getting ready to go?"

"Yes, but we won't be leaving for a while yet. What are your plans for today?"

"Lady Lunafreya said I could go with her."

The Oracle was travelling to perform healing today. It would be a form of sightseeing, perhaps? "I see."

Silence. "Where's Noct?"

"The day is warmer than expected, so he's returned to his room to change into something lighter."

"Right." Prompto glanced at Gladio and Sir Clarus, who were now standing beside the cars and chatting. "Actually, are you busy?"

What was this about? "Not at all. Is something the matter?"

Prompto scuffed the bottom of his shoe against the ground. "Could we like, talk for a bit? Somewhere private?"

This would have to be a very different kind of private conversation from the one Ignis had had with King Regis earlier. "Certainly."

They ended up in Prompto's room, which was being kept neater than Ignis would keep his own room. Ignis looked around, impressed. "If only Noct could learn to be as tidy as you."

"Haha..." It did not seem to be enough of an ice-breaker, as Prompto was only looking increasingly nervous. "So... sit down? Please?"

Prompto pointed at his bed, so Ignis sat down at one corner. Prompto chose the opposite corner.

"What's the matter?"

"I... I'm going to show you something. Please don't kill me."

Not even able to begin to fathom what Prompto could be referring to, Ignis just sat in silence as Prompto pulled off his ever-present wristband. Underneath, emblazoned on his pale skin, was a tattoo.

"So, I was born in Niflheim, and my biological dad was one of the big guys behind the magitek stuff and this is... basically I'm supposed to be an MT."

Oh.

"As in magitek?"

"Yeah. Soldier, I think... I mean it's not like they made them for anything else, right?"

Well this certainly warranted the privacy Prompto requested.

Prompto, a magitek soldier. But he had been such a large part of Noctis's life, and would have been there, as Noctis's friend, as Ignis's friend, in that other future.

"Hmm. I thought that was a tattoo, at first."

The wrist was covered up again. "I wish." Prompto smiled now, shyly. "Well, you haven't killed me, that's a good start."

"I see no reason to hurt you."

Prompto shuffled half way across the width of the bed. "That's pretty much what Noct said as well."

"He is aware, then."

"Yeah. And the Oracle and Ravus, they already knew. Actually the other night Ravus spent a lot of time telling me what he found out, since I didn't know much about it myself. And he's looking into ways to get... the thing removed from me. I don't really think it's possible, but..."

This was quite a lot to digest. Prompt probably had know about this all his life, then. As for his friendship with Noctis, it began as a request from Lunafreya, Ignis had been told casually over dinner the other day, so there was nothing sinister about it. Now Ravus was going to see if there was a way to help Prompto.

But how did Ignis fit into all of this?

"Why reveal this to me?" he asked, trying to meet Prompto's eyes.

Prompto ducked his head again. "Noct said he's told you about the other future as well, and I thought... we would've become really good friends, and you would've found out there anyway, and... I don't know. Because of this thing," he rubbed at his wristband, "I get scared about people finding out and I'm just shy anyway, so I don't really have any friends except for Noct." He heaved a deep breath. "It's weird, you know? That future's obviously really horrible, but I kind of wish we've had the chance to get to know each other and be friends. I feel like I've missed out."

"I—"

Prompto kept his gaze fixed on his knees. "I'm sorry this is really weird, it's like I'm asking you to be my friend. You can just ignore me."

Ignis stood up, crossed his side of the bed and sat down next to Prompto. The amount of courage it must have taken for Prompto to do what he just did, the tenacity he showed by living a clean, honourable life even with such a dark secret inside, how he took to heart a request from Lunafreya even as a child — Noctis had an eye for people and he had always said that Prompto was a good egg. Noctis was correct once again.

"Would you be my friend, Prompto?"

A pause, then a quick burst of laughter, followed by what sounded almost like a sob. Prompto covered his mouth. "I think I'm gonna cry!"

"To tell you the truth, when Noctis told me about the other future, I quite lamented the 'loss' of our friendship as well. But I don't see why we can't start now."

"Haha... so... can I call you Iggy?"

"Of course."

"Awesome!" Prompto drew another deep breath, and sat up straighter, "Right. I'm okay. Well Iggy, this is a bit out of the blue, but can I ask for some advice?"

Ignis tipped his head to one side. "Depends on what it is; I will try to help if I can."

"What do you think my chances are for joining the Crownsguard? I mean, assuming I managed to get the magitek stuff sorted out."

"You wish to join the Crownsguard?"

"Apparently in the other future I kick a lot of ass! So I know I'm capable of much more, and I want to try and..." Prompto lifted a hand and curled it into a fist, "become the best version of me I can be... well that sounded less clichéd in my head." He giggled. "But yeah, I wanna help Noct out, be like you guys, if you'll have me."

If Noctis had not revealed what could have been their future, and the role Prompto would have played in it, Ignis's response would have been very different. "If that's where your heart is, then I think you should go for it."

A smile blossomed on Prompto's lips. "Really? You think I can?"

"Noct and I would vouch for you if necessary, and hopefully Gladio would also." Ignis nodded, thinking out loud. "But I don't think you'll need our help at all."

That resulted in a light punch landing on Ignis's arm, like Prompto would do to Noctis. "You're just flattering me!"

"I don't use flattery, Prompto."

Embarrassed now, Prompto just laughed and laughed, until the sound faded away awkwardly.

"Did you know that Noct was going to call his uni to change the course he's enrolled for?"

"Yes. To Solheim technologies."

"No I mean, he was going to change it again."

"He was?" Even as he asked, the reason came to Ignis.

"Yeah, in case I get upset because of the magitek stuff. I told him not to be stupid." Prompto rubbed his wristband again.

"I see." It would have been a shame if Noctis gave up on the chance, but Ignis could understand.

"You guys are too good to me."

"Friends are—"

"Prompto?" A couple of quick knocks on the door. Noctis's voice filtered through. "You there?"

"Yup!" shouted Prompto. "Come in!"

The door opened. "I'm going to head off in a bit, are you..." Noctis let himself in, his voice drifting off as Prompto, his view blocked by Ignis beside him, leaned back onto the bed so that he could wave at Noctis across the room.

"Hey Noct! Look at you, looking all princely and stuff," Prompto said, referring to Noctis's outfit choice for the cultural visit today, and his carefully-sculpted hair.

"Funny you should say that, because I _am_ a prince." Noctis tugged down the hem of his jacket, pulling it straighter.

"Really? Sometimes I can't tell."

Noctis glared at his friend half-heartedly. "So what's Iggy doing in your bed?"

They were only sitting on the end of the bed, far from being "in" it, but Ignis saw no point in making the correction, not when Prompto was laughing the way he did. "He's just being awesome."

The glare, now emphasised by a raised eyebrow, turned onto Ignis. "Not even 12 hours since our first date and you're already cheating on me with my best friend?"

Ignis nudged his glasses. "I tried to resist, but he was very persuasive."

"Well, Prompto, I know Iggy's great but paws off." Noctis came closer, and hooked an arm in Ignis's elbow, pulling firmly until Ignis stood. "We need to go soon. Are you going to be alright?"

Prompto shifted to sit cross-legged on the bed. "Yeah, Lady Lunafreya said I could go with her today, I'll be fine."

It looked like Noctis was going to ask again, just to be sure, but decided against it in the end.

Once they left the room, Ignis checked the time. Five more minutes before he ought to be at the cars, 25 minutes before the designated departure time. He walked, carefully, with Noctis to his right, their hands not touching although he would very much like to change that.

The conversation with King Regis this morning had reminded him of just how much Noctis's current decisions and actions were influenced by his knowledge of the alternative future, which Ignis only knew the outline of. And he had to wonder: would Noctis still have felt the same about him, would Noctis still have acted on those feelings, had he not known? In that version of events, did they also feel this way about each other?

But were those questions even reasonable? There was little point in hypotheticals, and as far as Ignis knew, that insight of the future had brought them much closer together, just as it had guided Prompto's decisions and brought him closer to Ignis too. Whichever way Ignis looked at it, he had benefited in terms of personal relationships, and of course the world was immeasurably better compared with that apocalyptic world that was to be everyone's destiny. And their lives right this moment, this was their truth now, how would it matter how Ignis and Noctis felt about each other in a future that would never come to pass anymore?

"You okay there Specs?"

"Just a few things to think about; nothing that warrants royal attention."

"Prompto's told you, huh?"

"Yes," Ignis nodded. "Then he asked me about joining the Crownsguard."

That made Noctis pause in his tracks, half turning to look back at Prompto's door. "He did?"

"Because of what you told him, he believes he can achieve more in his life."

"But there are so many other things he can do."

"I would guess he wants to be a Crownsguard."

"Why though?"

"You would have to ask him yourself. If I were to guess, though, I think he wants to be able to always be there for you."

"Yeah yea—" Noctis froze, mid-sentence, mid-shrug and mid-step, causing Ignis to stop as well. He looked at Noctis worriedly, and Noctis shook his head, smiling fondly. "Hey, do you remember that time... you said you could always be there for me because you were my friend and a Crownsguard, and that made you a double agent?"

Of course Ignis could remember, clear as day. He smiled in return. "And then you corrected me and said I was a spy."

"You always have ways to make me feel better, even if it's saying something dumb so that I can correct you and feel clever."

Well, no use denying. "Only when we were younger; that trick wouldn't work now."

"Never did work."

"Oh?"

"I mean, I always knew that's what you were really doing. But I also always felt better anyway, just because."

They carried on walking, at a pace that meant they were not going to be late, but only just.

"So... he might join the Crownguard then. Prompto... he's a good guy."

"As are you," said Ignis. "You were going to change your university enrolment again because of him."

"I haven't, in the end. But I should've consulted my adviser, right? Sorry." Noctis looked a little uneasy. "I just didn't want to have to lie to you if you asked me why. It's Prompto's secret and I didn't know if he was okay with you finding out... Well, doesn't matter now."

"It was an act of kindness. You didn't need my advice to follow your heart, Noct."

"Well no. Otherwise I would've had to ask you, 'hey, do you think I should ask you out?'"

"As your adviser, I would have been obliged to advise you against dating one of your own staff."

"Ha. And as my friend?"

"Hmm, I think I would have said, 'Ignis Scientia? Really? You see him so often, shouldn't you be sick of him by now?'"

"Wow, good thing I asked you out without asking you first."

Their hands brushed, and each dipped their heads to hide a smile.

"I am thinking about that second date."

"Yeah, me too."

"Duty, then date?"

"Deal."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday Noct! I meant to post a birthday side story but as usual I've run out of time to write, so here's the next chapter instead, which is mostly about Ignis being Ignis.

With the former Niflheim Empire's aggressions spanning hundreds of years, a state visit was a rarity in Eos. The last time a King of Lucis visited another land was nine years ago, to bring his son to Tenebrae for healing, and the time before that was during the days of Noctis's grandfather King Mors. Ignis had looked, and there was literally no one who had served during the last state visit who was still alive.

Even so, there were protocols to abide by, examples to follow, and expectations to fulfill. Visiting locations of historical importance. Displays of several forms of culture, for example music, and something the royal guests would be expected to participate in a cursory manner, such as dance. Food, of course, was a must. Attendance at a ceremony, or memorial.

Queen Lunafreya was not present today; she had resumed her duties as the Oracle, and had headed to the southern towns to perform healing. Instead, accompanying the Lucians were Prince Ravus and his staff, and their first stop was a church that was built in worship of the Glacian, which now lay in ruin, destroyed by the might of the Niflheim Empire.

"Progress has been slow, but drawings for the reconstruction have just been finalised," explained Ravus. "Here in Tenebrae, we venerate the Glacian. Her church must be nothing short of perfect."

The topic was important and solemn, but Ignis had to keep his gaze respectfully lowered because, for some reason, whenever he looked at Ravus the events of the previous night returned to him in colours as vivid as Aranea Highwind's underwear.

And just as Ignis wrenched his thoughts away from that scene once again, he felt something, a chill, a strange vibration in the air, and braced himself.

Gentiana, who suddenly materialised to his left, gave him a look, as if disappointed that she had not startled him this time, but also impressed by the same fact. He watched her approach Ravus.

"What of the bell-gable, Apostate?" she asked him.

That was... quite a title Gentiana used for Ravus, Ignis thought. Did she mean it, or was it in humour? Impossible to tell. Ravus was not one who easily gave his reactions away; it made sense, from someone who survived for so long in the Imperial Army and then toppled it.

"The gable has been included," Ravus told Gentiana, his voice respectful, "and the bells commissioned."

She nodded. "Shiva would be pleased. Those bells may sound for the Oracle's marriage."

The words were soft, but smiles blossomed on the faces of all those who heard, particularly Ravus.

"Then construction shall commence posthaste."

"Worry not; time is aplenty," she reassured him, her own smile taking on a playful edge. "And mayhap the Apostate shall also enter into matrimony here, some day."

Then she was gone. Ignis was not even blinking when she simply vanished, the last syllable in her sentence ending abruptly, like a phonecall that was cut off just a touch too soon.

Well, well, it was a good thing that the reporters were not allowed to follow inside the church, as Ravus had turned quite a shade of pink.

And Ignis had to stop thinking about Ravus and Aranea, again.

The next stop was a concert hall in the centre of Tenebrae City, which Ignis and Noctis had walked past the night before, for performance of a symphony written by one of Tenebrae's, and arguably one of Eos's, greatest composers. King Regis's favourite, as it happened. As for Ignis, he only had a passing interest in classical music, and Noctis didn't mind it, but a long period of sitting down in plush seats with quite beautiful music could only result in one thing.

Seated behind Noctis, Ignis nudged the back of Noctis's chair, then handed him a can of espresso over his shoulder.

After a few moments, Ignis's phone vibrated.

_N: Comfy here, nice air con_

_I: I understand, but you mustn't sleep._ They should not be using their phones, either.

_N: You have permission to kick my chair every few minutes_

_I: So romantic._

_N: I know right_

Two cans of espresso — Ignis was prepared for this situation the moment he read the day's schedule — and only one more sharp bump were all that were required to keep Noctis awake. Still, it wasn't a task Ignis enjoyed; he would rather let Noctis sleep whenever Noctis required sleep. And despite the lovely seating, Noctis's back must have started to freeze up by the end of performance, judging by the way he moved. Gladio confirmed the observation after going to the bathroom with him and watching him do some stretches.

A chat with the Oracle was in order. She said she would lift the Scourge from Noctis, but Ignis just wanted to be sure. How long was it going to take?

Noctis was on his best behaviour and most charming form afterwards, when they headed for lunch and was welcomed by a large but fairly well-controlled crowd. A pair of children approached with flowers for King Regis and Prince Noctis, a common practice for any nation hosting important guests, but eyebrows were raised and smiles appeared when Prince Ravus, too, received floral gifts. For the next few seconds, Ignis could have sworn the sounds of camera shutters were louder than the crowd.

A surprised Ravus, receiving flowers. Grinning royal Lucian guests in the background. Ravus might not have been informed beforehand, but this was certainly planned by whomever was managing the Nox Fluerets' public image and gosh, they were good.

During lunch, Ignis used the time to check that they were on schedule, that the Lucian staff were still up to speed and had all areas covered. The Grand Chamberlain had sent him a message in the morning to congratulate him on the good work at the coronation and wish him good luck for today. It only served to add on pressure, but that was fine, Ignis could handle this. He could even spare a moment to find out what kind of lunch Noctis was being served.

After the conversation with King Regis this morning, Ignis could not believe that he had not spotted the source of the issue before. Noctis was not very communicative on these sorts of matters, and it was likely that he did not even consider it a problem, or he hid it because their schedules meant they never ate together on the days he had training on his powers. The King should have told Ignis much sooner, definitely, but he was the King and no matter how annoyed Ignis was he must just swallowed that feeling down and work on a solution instead.

He had some ideas, but he would have to obtain Noctis's cooperation. Simply increasing his portion sizes on the days they ate together would not work, and the change would not go unnoticed.

He reined his thoughts in when he noticed Gladio coming over, and gratefully accepted a proffered sandwich.

"Good timing Gladio, I just received word that the crowd is larger than expected at the next stop. Have they—"

"Yup, I got told as well. They're closing the road leading up to it and letting people line up either side. Noct and His Majesty don't mind getting out of the car early and walking up, but it's gonna add eight minutes to the schedule. I wanna go ahead and check it out first, that okay?"

That would require... Ignis checked his lists. That would be fine, they had enough hands here. "Yes. How are you getting there?"

"Merle said they have a bike I can borrow. It's got sat nav."

It took Ignis a second to catch on. Motorcycle, of course. Not bicycle. "Splendid. Make sure they know the vehicle registration and that you're on your way."

"Will do."

"Travel safe."

All right. Eight minutes. That was within the tolerance allowed, but the schedule could keep slipping if they weren't careful. Ignis decided he better speak to the Tenebraeans and see if they could steal that time back, somehow. He would make the first state visit Lucis had made in many years run as smoothly as possible. If his work went entirely unnoticed, then that would mean there were no mishaps, no delays.

He rolled his shoulders. All right, time to make his job invisible.

*

Late afternoon, and they were in a field. A carefully-selected field, with the beautiful Lake Zôldara reflecting the sunset as a backdrop, and Ignis couldn't help but smile because he could tell Noctis would very much like to try fishing here.

As a more efficient way of enjoying the scenic area, and taking King Regis's weak knee into consideration, they were shown around on golf buggies, and after a while Noctis was allowed to take the wheel.

Then they arrived at the western side of the lake, where they could see snow-covered mountains in the distance, and where a dance troupe was waiting.

This was the part of the day Gladio was most looking forward to: demonstration of traditional Tenebraean dances followed by, of course, a quick lesson for the royal visitors.

Both the male and female dancers wore white, trimmed with silver, but they danced separately. The women demonstrated a folk dance, done in a circle, which was performed to celebrate the harvest. The men's was a line dance, apparently dating back several hundred years, originally for the purpose of showing off the physique and attracting partners, which evolved over time to its current form. It was now was less about strength and more about flourish, consisting of a number of movements followed by a pose, then another set of moves, another pose, and so on.

Given the King's bad knee, when it came to the "lesson", it was Noctis who had to step up. He didn't seem to mind, at least. A duty was a duty, even if it was trying to dance for the sake of public relations. Ignis stepped forward and held on to Noctis's jacket for him.

Hand on hip. A step to the left. A push to the right. Simple enough, Noctis got it in no time.

A swing of the head. A complete turn on one foot, then the torso bending back, and forward again, in a controlled, ripple-like movement. This would be where Noctis was not expected to follow, then everybody would laugh politely.

"Shit, he's nailed it," muttered Gladio under his breath. He wasn't the only person who was surprised — everyone was. Ignis, the King, the dance troupe, the reporters all raised their eyebrows and dropped their jaws.

Delighted, the instructor proceeded to show Noctis the more complicated moves, but Noctis made it all look easy and, Ignis wasn't sure if anyone else felt the same, but he was becoming quite aware that this was indeed a dance originally intended for attracting partners. Unlike the instructor who wore a semi-fitted, lightweight outfit, Noctis was in a suit, and he still looked gorgeous.

He was so _pretty_.

"Noct can dance? Since when?"

"He... I have no idea," Ignis admitted to Gladio, quietly. "He has certainly learned the most common ballroom dances, but this is entirely different."

"No kidding. Look at him." Gladio crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking impressed. "He's really owning it. And here I thought I could make fun of him after this bit."

If this carried on they were going to finish late, but this was the final stop anyway, which was why Ignis was no longer constantly making arrangements. Additionally, it seemed like nobody wanted to put an end to the dancing yet, not when it looked so good and the prince seemed like he was having fun.

But something seemed to be happening. Noctis stopped, said something, then he was calling Ravus over.

"Ravus! You know how to do this."

The Prince of Tenebrae was dressed in a grey, almost silvery suit — white was his royal colour but perhaps that would look too much like a wedding outfit — today. He frowned very lightly. "It has been quite a few years since..."

"Come on!"

And somehow, _somehow_ , the two princes were dancing, very competently, the traditional dance of the men of Tenebrae, Ravus quite intently correcting minor points in Noctis's positioning as the instructor just grinned, shrugged and backed away.

Ignis gaped. This couldn't have been planned by the Tenebraean PR as well? If it was there would have been more time allocated for this on the timetable. The princes swaying, spinning, rolling their hips — but not at each other thankfully, this was a line dance — made for the most pleasing sight, and even without seeing the reporters frantically speaking on their phones or at their mouthpieces, Ignis knew this was going to—

"This is gonna cause quite a stir," Gladio snorted, no longer thinking about his tattered plans of making fun of Noctis, "in more ways than one. 100 gil says it's going to be all over the internet before we even leave this lake."

With the live broadcast, Gladio's predictions were probably right. "Why would I make a bet I'm sure to lose? Look at them."

"Yeah, them _wiggledy_ hips." All of a sudden Gladio groaned and pressed the heel of his palm to his forehead. "God, Iris is watching this at home."

"But she's only... 12?"

"12 and impressionable. You've no idea what kids are like these days. I don't know where she learned it from, maybe some older kids in school or something, but she's been talking about 'exploding ovaries'."

Ignis grimaced. "What does that even mean?"

Gladio lifted a finger to subtly point at the scene in front of them. "When girls see hot guys do this sort of stuff, I guess."

A colloquial term for a sudden surge of hormones, then? School girls were odd. "I see..."

"Well. How're you feeling, Iggy?"

Ignis didn't understand. "About?" he asked, then saw the smirk. "I do not have ovaries, Gladio."

A snort. "But Prince Ravus is quite something, hmm?"

Ignis had nearly forgotten that Gladio liked to guess what sort of men he liked; it had been a long time since the previous attempt.

"The Prince of Tenebrae? I have far more sense than to even imagine reaching so far above my station." Ignis made sure that his voice let nothing slip. Oh, this was hilarious, he would have to tell Noctis later.

"That's the problem with you: you have far too much sense to have fun." Gladio's hand landed on Ignis's shoulder. "How long's it been since you last went on a date?"

"Not as long as it has been for you." Ignis took his eyes off the dancers for just long enough to give his friend and colleague a look, and Gladio grumbled a little.

"Alright, I asked for that."

Well, at least Gladio had self awareness. Ignis's gaze returned to Noctis, who must be getting mindful of the time because he was gathering the the troupe for a final dance with him and Ravus. It was a shame; Ignis thought he could watch this forever. What a surprising and wonderful hidden talent this was, and Ignis longed to take Noctis aside and tell him how good he looked.

But for now, all he did was wait for the dancing to finish, then approach Noctis and held his jacket open for him to slide his arms into. "Your Highness."

"Thanks, Ignis."

The return journey was quiet, at least for Ignis who rode on the front passenger seat and reflected on the day's events as the King, Noctis and the royal shields chatted in the back. Things to do or to consider: Noctis's nutritional needs; discuss with the Oracle regarding the progress in Noctis's healing; search for recordings of Noctis's dancing today or, if Ignis would dare, ask Noctis to demonstrate for him again.

The first two items were of much greater importance. He should try to get those done today if possible.

They arrived back at Fenestala Manor relatively quickly. Lady Lunafreya was still out, and they were not going to start dinner without the Queen, so everyone took the time to relax from the day's work apart from Ignis, who asked for a moment of Noctis's time.

"Hm?" Noctis's smile was wry. "You don't need to ask."

Ignis opened his door and gestured for Noctis to enter first. "I have some concerns, Noct, and I'd like to get them out of the way. Please, take a seat."

The look on Noctis's face turned bemused. "Work talk, then?" He shucked his jacket and hung it over the back of a chair, then sat down. "What's the problem?"

Ignis sat down opposite, across the little round table, and produced a notepad and a pen from the inside chest pocket of his jacket. "Your father has expressed concern regarding your weight loss."

"Oh."

"I have been inclined to leave it as a result of your body adjusting to your growth and the changes in workload. This morning I have been given additional information, however. I'm concerned that the training in using your powers can put your health in danger if it's not appropriately accommodated for."

Noctis sat back, and briefly pouted in such a way that Ignis could identify as his charge becoming defensive. "Dad told me it uses some energy, that's all. You don't need to get all serious."

The reaction was just as Ignis thought. Time to use some numbers to prove his point.

"Then we will do a quick calculation." Ignis began to write on the notepad. "Work done is force multiplied by distance..."

Noctis sat up again and frowned. "What the hell? What's with the middle school physics?"

"Just follow me. Force is mass times acceleration." Ignis wrote down _WD = F x d_ and _F = m x a_. "How heavy are you, Noct?"

"I don't know, maybe 75 kilo?"

 _m = 75kg._ "And acceleration is change in velocity divided by time." _a = (v 1 \- v2) / t_. "Assuming you start by standing still, and you bladewarp a distance of say, 25 metres in half second? Your velocity is 50m/s and your acceleration is 50m/s2."

"Uh, I suppose?"

"For simplicity's sake we'll disregard the force involved in you stopping. This is all very rough, but you will see what I am getting at." Ignis pointed at _F = m x a_. "Force is therefore 75 times 50, which is 3750 Newtons. And work done is 3750 times 25, which is..." He did the long multiplication and came up with _93750 Joules_. "Noct, please look up how much that equates to in kilocalories?"

Noctis had a look that said he knew he wasn't going to like whatever was going to happen. He looked up an online converter and plugged the number in. "22.4kcal? That's nothing."

"That is assuming you are in a frictionless environment and there is no wastage at all. In reality it could easily be double or triple that amount."

"Alright, even if it's double that's just 45? Don't people my size need like 2500 a day anyway? 45 is a drop in the ocean."

"But how many times do you bladewarp in one practice session?" Ignis asked, and watched as Noctis tried to hide his grimace. "Would it be fair of me to suggest it's around 50 times?" _45 x 50 = 2250kcal_. Ignis circled the number. "That is a whole day's worth of energy. You already have an intense physical schedule," without including whatever it was that Noctis did whenever he said he was at the games arcade. "And the King has also made me aware that training can make you lose your appetite, which was when I realised that on the days you train with your father, we never have dinner together. You don't eat on those evenings either, do you Noct?"

Noctis scratched his jaw and looked away. "Not really."

Ignis put his pen down. Actually he had not a clue if the energy a person spent could be calculated this way, but he had made his point.

"Then you're not eating on those days, as well as spending an extra whole day's worth of energy, therefore routinely missing two days' nutrition per week. For now you are fine, but this cannot continue, Noct. There is not much left on you to lose; soon your body will start to burn your muscles for fuel."

A sigh, followed by Noctis folding himself onto the little table. "Alright, alright. But I can't help it if I don't want to eat."

Ignis had also considered this already. "Then we will investigate what it is that makes you lose appetite. Personally I suspect the acceleration and deceleration is causing motion sickness; when you bladewarp you are going from standstill to moving even faster than the eye can follow, frankly I am surprised it doesn't make you throw up."

"Hmm. Well it did, in the beginning..."

This was news to Ignis, who knotted his brows at Noctis. "I'm not aware of this."

"You were away in Accordo, it wasn't like there was anything you could do from over there, I didn't see any point in making you worry."

Typical, coming from Noctis. Ignis swallowed a sigh. "I challenge that — brainstorming for a solution does not require physical presence. What else happened at the start of your training?"

Unlike Ignis, Noctis did not stop himself from heaving a long suffering sigh. "I almost blacked out a couple of times. There was a bit of tunnel vision if I kept at it. But I don't get that anymore."

Poor Noctis. The cause was quite obvious, actually. In fact, as Ignis studied his calculation again, he could not help but feel horrified — that acceleration was five times the gravitational force of the planet. To someone untrained, a sustained exposure of such a force could be fatal.

"You have definitely been suffering from the change of speed. It has already improved, but perhaps the solution to your lack of appetite is as simple as taking a travel sickness pill, or two shorter training sessions instead of a long one."

"Oh. Really?"

"The only way to truly solve this is with practise. Your body will learn to cope eventually, but until then—"

"Right, got it. Car sick pills."

"And we should consult the Kingsglaive — Nyx may have some advice to share."

"I'll do as you say, so stop worrying okay?" Arms on the table, Noctis rested his chin on the back of his hands. "You know, Dad was talking about how you're always really good at talking sense into me. I guess he's right."

A compliment from the King? Ignis felt a little swell of pride in his chest. "I merely know what you respond well to, that's all." He pointed at the notepad. Evidence and proof always worked. Humour would have been his preferred method, but he could not come up with jokes about his prince's unhealthy weight loss.

"And you've had this all worked out; I bet you've thinking about it all day."

"I wouldn't call it 'all day'..."

"While trying to get a state visit to run on time. You're amazing."

"That's hardly a personal effort. You saw the amount of people involved."

There was a pause, then Noctis pushed himself up, took the notepad and pen, and very deliberately put them aside. Then he reached across, arm extended, his hand going somewhere above Ignis's head. Ignis looked up in confusion.

"Noct?"

The hand moved, as if lifting something, then Noctis placed the invisible item on the table. "Taking off  your chamberlain-slash-advisor hat."

Oh. Ignis couldn't help but snort. "Should I apologise for being boring?"

"No?" A flick of the wrist, as if Noctis just carelessly knocked Ignis's proverbial hat off the table. "Just time for you to stop working."

A small rise, a slight lean forward, and their lips met over the small table.

Oh. This was the best reward for the hectic day.

A chuckle. "Your glasses are in the way."

"My bad?"

Ignis moved to take off his glasses, but Noctis caught his wrist.

"Uh uh. I'll learn to cope with them. With loads of practise."

"Well, then I certainly hope this is less unpleasant than bladewarping."

"Mmm, I'll tell you in a bit. Kind of busy here."

One of Noctis's hand rested on the back on Ignis's neck, then there was more kissing, careful but by no means chaste, and Noctis let out what was almost like a giggle when he knocked Ignis's glasses askew.

It took a bit of willpower to for Ignis to pull back from Noctis's lips. "We have yet to go on a second date," he said as he set his spectacles straight.

There was an amused glint in Noctis's eyes. "Yep."

"Say, would you be free tonight, after dinner?"

"Dad's leaving tomorrow."

"Ah, of course." How could Ignis forget about this? Noctis would want to spend time with his father before His Majesty travelled to Accordo.

"Did you actually forget?" asked Noctis. The amusement was now all over his face. "You've been working too hard."

"I... guess I have."

"Well, I don't know if it's going to help, but we've got _King's Knight_ tonight as well."

Now that was an actual surprise. "We have? While everyone is here?"

"Exactly because everyone's here. We get to sit in the same room and yell at each other while playing."

That would indeed be quite fun. "You mean Prince Ravus will be able complain about your healing in person."

"He can keep complaining until he tries to play a white mage himself."

"Or you could consider healing him _before_ his HP bar turns orange?"

"What's the fun in that?"

They pulled a little more away from each other, hands off the table and standing straight when Ignis's phone beeped. He checked the message. "Lady Lunafreya has returned. Dinner will be served in 15 minutes."

"Nice. Let's go."

They got ready to head for the dining hall, popping into Noctis's room first to put down his tie and pick up his phone charger.

"By the way, we're going to drag Nyx into the game."

"As in _King's Knight_?"

"Yep. We could do with another tank. Luna can teach him how."

Their free company could do with another healer or another smith too, but Ignis was not going to argue against any attempt to get Nyx and Lady Lunafreya closer together.

Gosh, he really was becoming like Noctis on this topic.

"Agreed."

It took a bit of searching for Noctis to find his charger, which was half hidden under his pillow. "Okay, let's go."

"Noct? Before we go?"

Winding the cable on his gadget then stuffing it into a pocket, Noctis came up to Ignis. Ignis waited until Noctis was done, then took his hands.

It wasn't just the kisses. Being allowed to do this was amazing as well.

"I should have said this earlier: good work today."

Noctis snorted. "Me? I just walked around smiling. You, on the other hand—"

Ignis shook his head. "We both worked."

"Uh. Hmm, I suppose."

"And you did not just walk. You danced very attractively," Ignis pointed out, recalling the scene from this afternoon. What a wonderful sight it was. "I had no idea you could dance that way."

In the blink of an eye, Noctis's face flushed pink. "It was just..." he shrugged. "I looked it up before we came here. Last time I was here, I was in a wheelchair a lot and Ravus said he'd teach me the Tenebraean line dance when I got better."

"He did?" Ignis imagined a mid-teen Ravus encouraging an eight-year-old Noctis with such a promise. It was a very nice thing for him to do.

"Yeah, he was in a junior champion team. He was really good at it, and all the other arts as well. Not that I think he got to practise any of it when he was in Gralea, but I thought it'd be good if we finally got to do it together."

It was a sweet sentiment that paid off, but having looked up something beforehand did not explain why Noctis was so great at it, so Ignis waited, to see if an explanation would be forthcoming.

Noctis's blush deepened. "I'll tell you more when we get home. Maybe."

How curious. "Only if you want to."

"I know." Noctis squeezed Ignis's hands, then let go. "Come on, we'll be late for dinner."

"All right. Dinner, then..."

"Then Luna's going to work on Dad's knee one more time, and I'm going to hang around until he heads off to bed, then we're all going to play _King's Knight_."

"Which we will get Nyx involved in."

"That's right."

"A most splendid plan."


End file.
